Kingdom In Peril
by Nami-Lass
Summary: AU: After the incident at Mother Guardian, she begins to wonder where it is she really belongs; the present day, where she was born, or the past, five hundred years ago, which she is quickly becoming entangled with.
1. The Unimaginable

**Title: **Kingdom In Peril

**Authoress: **Nami-Lass

**Rating: **M

**Contains: **Violence, occasional bad language, adult scenes

**AU, Romance, Fantasy, Suspense**

**Summary: **Who'd have thought the greatest adventure lay so close to home? Only hours after being thrown into a world of the past, she finds herself face to face with the dangers of the past. Dangers she'd having a hard time believing even exist.

**Story Disclaimer: **Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto. The Author owns nothing but the storyline and is not making any money from the distribution of this story.

**01 The Unimaginable**

_A small body of determined spirits fired _

_by an unquenchable faith in their mission _

_can alter the course of history. _

_**Mohandas Gandhi**_

_Who'd have thought the greatest adventure I'd yet to know lay so close to home?_

The docks of Konoha were an eventful place. The ships which arrived from all over the world each had their own story to tell about their gallant cruise. Precious cargo arriving in from strange new lands, full of an alien culture, arriving passengers hoping for Konoha's hot sunny shores to give them the holiday of a lifetime, and returning workmen from travelling jobs; the docks had it all.

They weren't quite as popular as they had been years ago, thanks to air travel, but they had a certain charm about them.

Still, there was one painful thing each working ship had in common when its passengers disembarked and a register was called to ensure everyone had arrived safely.

"Haruno Sakura?"

The eighteen year old woman-child looked toward the man holding the clipboard and replied loudly, gaining the attention of the huge crowd around them.

"Here"

The huge, burly men built of pure muscle turned to her, looked her up and down and either laughed snidely or grinned. Women were uncommon on the docks as it was, but being part of the ships register was strange. Especially since she was of a small stature. And the men surrounding her were all the same; unable to get past what they were familiar with.

She hadn't attended school in a while. She had to wonder if her awaiting mother had contacted the principle and explained she wasn't returning because of these frequent trips. She hadn't had a normal life filled with school and friends and this calling of names was the closest thing to education she'd had; and only because there was a similar system during classes.

From beside her, her Aunt Tsunade stood proudly, with her arms crossed and her already large chest puffed out. It was an intimidating stance, and most of the men turned back around, being familiar with the flaming Tsunade and her temper.

Sakura wasn't quite so confident among them, even after the many years of travelling with different yet similar ships. She reached her aunt's shoulder at a mere five foot six with her hands clenched behind her back patiently. Sporting a slight tan, dirty beige shorts and a black vest with her name stamped across the back, she had to wonder if she looked like she'd just been camping out in the desert for a few month.

Accompanying her Aunt on a three month excavation near Suna to find the remains of a sun-god worshiping tribe was trying, especially alongside two other teams. Thanks to her age, height and gender, Sakura had been subject to many taunts, patronising middle-aged men and ignorant, leader-types who wanted her away from such 'delicates'.

Delicates, delicates, delicates... it was the single word she'd heard more times than she cared for, especially over the last few weeks when the delicates became larger in numbers and bigger in size. Artefacts; why couldn't they call them like they were? It wasn't until she threatened the leader of the waterfall country's team that she'd be breaking _his _delicates if he didn't shut up that she finally heard peace.

And a hearing for a restraining order. Like she would willingly seek that man ever again.

"Don't sulk," her Aunt suddenly spoke, placing a firm hand on her niece's shoulder and pushing her from the crowd of hairy men. She looked over at the retreating registrar, only just realising they roll of names had come and gone quite quickly.

They arrived home soon after, where she took a few moments to just stare up at the house with wide, watery eyes. It had been so long. Dried up camp food, sandy water and cold desert nights were finally a thing of the past (now that she knew not to accompany her aunt back to Suna ever again).

Her aunt walked past her and scoffed, trying the handle on the front door then pushing it open without being the slightest bit delicate with the door...

She had to stop using that word.

Just because her aunt was used to long trips away in foreign countries with complete strangers, didn't mean she was. And this trip began when she was just barely sixteen. It was a very brave thing for someone so young to leave home for that amount of time; especially during hormonal teenage years.

Apparently, she had taken too long in walking up the drive-way, as her mother suddenly appeared with her arms spread wide in an impending bear hug. "Sakura!" She shouted, making little work of the distance between them and enveloping her daughter in her arms.

Her mother wailed into her shoulder, repeating I-missed-you's and how've-you-been's. Sakura returned the embrace and took a deep breath. A child would always love and miss its mother's scent. It truly was the scent of home.

"We wrote weekly," Sakura argued into the feminine shoulder. Compared to Tsunade's bulkier version, it was thinner and delicate.

Crap, that word again!

They were quickly ushered inside, as her mother fetched the tea and coffee, with a promise of biscuits. Tsunade and Sakura slumped down on the couch, ignorant of their dusty, sand-filled boots and mucky clothing. Home was heaven.

"I translated the slate," Tsunade said in a weary voice.

Sakura glared her way, "Tell me later, I'm soaking up the moment," she complained.

"It's very interesting; the location of the holy land is actually just outside of town."

"Ignore me then," Sakura whined to herself.

"It's near that restricted area within the forest. It talks of a mother guardian and passage of time."

"No"

"I've already asked your mother," Tsunade grinned slyly, eyeing her weary niece.

"And she agreed?!" Sakura bellowed with irritation. Two years away and her weak-willed mother had already thrown her into her crazed Aunt's clutches... again! Didn't the woman miss her?!

"Not exactly; I mean, not yet, anyway. I'm working on it."

Sakura had to wonder why her aunt sounded like she was confiding in her when she was opposed to the idea. "I'm eighteen now; you'll need my permission, not my mothers," Sakura said proudly with a smug smile.

Her mother rounded the corner with a bright smile, and they stood like robots and followed her to the awaiting tea. Yeah, but they were both mommy's girls, or in Tsunade's case, a sister's girl. Was there even such a thing?

Tsunade and Sakura quickly yanked out and slumped down into their seat, watching Sakura's mother draw out her own, and then sit delicately.

_Delicately..._

"You look a little pale honey," her mother's sing-song voice chimed.

Sakura snapped out of her scolding reverie and raised a sceptical brow. "I could pass as a civilian of Suna"

Her mother pouted modestly and for the first time, began to inspect her little girl and her slight tan. Sakura's skin never agreed with the sun, and in comparison to her aunt, who had herself a very healthy tan, Sakura still seemed quite pale, though not as pale as her mother.

Haruno Mayumi sighed a little too dramatically and began to sip her tea, which had been nestled on a charming little saucer alongside a rounded biscuit. "My daughter became sarcastic."

Tsunade laughed merrily, as though she were chugging down a beer instead of her sister's tea, and shot back, "She gave the guys hell!"

"I knew sending my daughter away at such an influencing age was wrong. Look at how she presents herself now."

Sakura wrinkled her nose and glanced down. Then, taking note of her slumped over posture, she glanced over at her aunt, who took that moment to straighten in her seat and compose herself.

"I'm just tired," Sakura argued, gulping down her tea in a breath. Her mother watched with an unrelenting eye and then sighed deeply. "Th-Thirsty too."

Tsunade tried to casually lean forward and appear nonchalant (casually being the keyword). "Why don't you visit your friend, Sakura. I'm sure she's missing you."

Sakura narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but nodded nonetheless. She planned to visit her overbearing friend without her aunt's consent anyway. It had been two years after all, and as much as she wanted to soak up the love with her mother, her friend would give her an earful if she didn't head out on the same day she returned to pay her a visit.

* * *

Through the entire walk home, Sakura kept the smile on her face and slowed her usual fast pace. Catching up with everyone had been great; even if it was indirect, and the stories all came from one Yamanaka Ino.

They'd hugged, squealed, relived the past two years and munched on Mrs Yamanaka's homemade muffins. Not only that, but she'd also been booked to hang around with the enthusiastic blonde, who claimed they needed to go shopping together after such a long, painful separation.

The path she walked on was dark now; she wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the night had quickly descended when she'd left the house. Even the familiar route home was welcomed. In fact, she promptly forgot that her Aunt had no doubt been working her magic on her mother so they could leave on another one of her dangerous adventures.

Until she walked through the door, discarded her keys and followed through into the kitchen.

"So, whaddya say?" Tsunade slurred, her fingers tight around her favourite hobby and companion. Sakura's shoulders slumped.

"Aww, Tsu-Tsu! You'll look aft'a her, riiight?" Tsunade laughed and chinked her glass against Sakura's mothers. The woman fell over the table and giggled light-heartedly. "Aww, my baby only jus' came home!"

"Tsunade!" Sakura bellowed, her hands firm on her hips in an attempt to mimic her aunt's usual confident, intimidating stance.

Her aunt raised her eyebrow, somehow, and looked her up and down; knowing what her niece was trying to do. "Niccce try!"

"You got my mother _drunk_?!" Sakura hissed, marching over to the table and yanking the bottles from both her mother and her aunt. Her mother's lithe fingers quickly slipped and banged against the table, whereas Tsunade's eyes narrowed as a sober person's would, and she tugged on the clear liquid for dear life.

"Give it!" Sakura snapped, finally yanking the bottle free and turning around to hide it. "You _know _she can't handle it!"

The woman had the gall to appear oblivious! She turned to find her mother had sat up straight and was beaming up at her daughter with love and pride.

"My girl got so pretty! Were there boys when you were away? Did they hassle you?" Sakura frowned, upset at the sorry state her mother had got herself in, while Tsunade laughed loudly.

"Time to get you to bed," Sakura gave in finally, taking her mother's hand and trying to lift her up to her wobbly feet.

"We've sooo much to catch up on!"

"Tomorrow"

"But you're leaving tomorrow!"

Sakura paused. It really wasn't hard to guess at what her mother was referring to. Why else would she suddenly be leaving tomorrow after her mother had spent a day with her sister? Sakura turned a heated glare on Tsunade, "You didn't!"

The busty, older woman glanced towards the darkened sky out of the window and pursed her lips.

"Don't worry, we've packed for you" Her mother gestured over to the small backpack in the corner. Her Aunt did say it was just outside of town... but why the hell was she going tomorrow?! Ino was gonna skin her alive! She'd promised countless trips t many boring places, but she had been looking forward to catching up with the guys!

"You know what the competition is like, Sakura," Her Aunt answered her thoughts, waving them off with her floppy wrist.

"You let her into my _room?_" Sakura pointed in Tsunade's direction rudely. Even _she _hadn't been back in her room yet!

Her mother's eyes closed, losing to unconsciousness, and she slumped back over onto the table, ignorant of Sakura's hand's trying to pry her away. Sakura sighed and looked over to her aunt, whose eyebrows had risen to her hairline as she stared at her sister, unimpressed. "You're helping me lift her up the stairs!"

* * *

It became apparent she had never listened to her Aunt's thoughts on the assignment. She had just dismissed them, being tired and distracted by the feeling of home. Part of her was reluctant to ask again about what she'd told her yesterday. The only piece she picked up on was 'outside of town'. Which roughly translated to an hour's travel by train outside of the capital. Her Aunt's distorted view of the distance never failed to amaze her.

As much was obvious, however, when she found herself standing on the safe side of the barrier gazing up at the Forest of Death. Okay, so it wasn't actually called that; it had a rather exotic name in reality; but after the numerous adventurers, campers and locals who'd ventured in hadn't returned, the name stuck. She had to guess that was why the government had sectioned the area off.

"Okay, let's go"

Sakura's head snapped around to stare at her Aunt incredulously. "You're not serious?"

"Of course I am," she glanced over, and Sakura immediately noted her firmly set shoulders and stubbornly raised chin. In fact, her brown eyes were nothing _but _serious.

Sakura took a moment to watch her Aunt march over to the plastic barrier and duck beneath it, blatantly ignoring its warning. Was this illegal, or just ill-advised? Either way, it was pretty stupid. Still, Sakura followed her Aunt closely after making it past the safety line.

While her blonde elder strolled ahead quite calmly, with her nose stuck in some kind of note book, Sakura glanced around her. The trees didn't seem a natural shade of brown, They were darker, and their firm bark seemed rougher and more imposing. Even the leaves which drifted down to the earth from up high seemed almost deadly; their colour a poisonous green, and their edges razor sharp.

She forced her viridian eyes to watch her Aunt's back and the path she walked on, not daring to glance over at the thorn bushes or the bony twigs which obscured the path ahead.

Something crunched beneath her foot, and she jumped away, looking down to find what she had stood on. An acorn, she surmised taking a few calming breaths and clearing her overreacting imagination, just an acorn.

But then, when she looked back up towards her Aunt, she paused and took a moment to just listen to the surroundings. Nothing; she couldn't hear anything. Not the sound of one humming bird, cricket or even the rustling of a foraging rabbit. It was eerie; and if there was one thing her father taught her, and one thing those hired guns she often talked to reminded her of, it was that silence was the biggest threat.

"Tsunade," she called, willing her voice to remain calm. She reached to her side where her glimmering, silver machete lay, and released the blade from its confines. She usually used the weapon for foliage which lay in her way, like those impending thorns up ahead, but keeping it in her hand felt safer.

"You're over reacting," her Aunt waved her off, after glancing over at her niece, disciple and partner in crime. Sakura continued following her, unable to shake the feeling of eyes on her, as she frowned at Tsunade's big, stupid head. This was her fault.

"We're here; the holy land!" Tsunade announced excitedly, rushing forwards before Sakura's outstretched arm could snatch at her and hold her still.

She glanced around the clearing and sighed. It didn't feel the same as the route they'd taken. It felt almost tranquil, regardless of the fact the scene around the tall tree in the centre of the bare meadow remained the same. The ghostly trees watched on from their place on the sidelines, bent and misshapen; silent.

Yet the tall, knee-length grass was nothing but soft against Sakura's bare legs. Leading her black-booted feet onwards, trudging through the gentle grass, Sakura felt the muscles in her shoulder relax ever so slightly.

"This is amazing; who'd have thought the Mother Guardian was a tree?" Tsunade commented when she approached closer, letting her fingers roam over the markings embedded into the thick bark. Sakura's eyes bulged.

Trees simply didn't grow so big! It's width along much have reached ten feet, purely because Sakura could envision herself lying flat on her back, twice, alongside it. Encircling the impressively large _unknown _were uprooted barks, twisting, turning and then diving back into the earth. She looked up high at the sole canopy the large being created and whistled.

Tsunade hushed her, so she pulled a face and turned around, wanting to survey the area. She didn't quite trust the lurking darkness beyond the first line of forest surrounding them. She'd be a fool to turn her back on the danger they represented.

And when she finally turned and stood firm, she was reassured that yes, she made the right decision, and no, she didn't predict the outcome of the events about to occur was to be a positive one.

Green clashed with golden, yellow eyes, which stared down hungrily at her.

"A-Ah..." Was she trembling? Her limbs certainly didn't feel too steady, and that notch in her voice had risen since the last time she'd heard. She took a nervous step back, her foot fumbling against the hard mud for balance.

"Tsu-Tsu..." She tried again, as the huge, reddish-brown creature pushed its paw... hand?! ... forward and shifted its weight. Its eyes never left hers.

"Don't you start with that nickname," Tsunade mumbled. Sakura heard the book snap shut with irritation and Tsunade's own heavy feet shuffle on the floor. "What do you- What the hell is that!?"

The creature pounced, startled at Tsunade's loud voice, and both she and her niece dove out the way, scurried to their feet and ran for the cover of the trees. Sakura glanced behind her as she sprinted away, and the creature almost seemed to smile in satisfaction as it watched her and turned its pointed ears in her direction.

In no more than two rushed steps, the creature was upon her, and she stumbled to the floor as the earth shook her. When she tried to push her arms upwards and force herself to run, she felt a heavy thud against her side and she was catapulted back towards the imposing tree behind the creature. The air whizzed past her, and when she landed with a painful crack, the momentum forced her body to roll until she eventually collided with the Mother Guardian.

The force of pain in her chest made her heave a heavy cough, and she looked down into her hand, horrified to find large blood splatters oozing down her arm. She shivered, and fear quickly overwhelmed her body, causing all of her muscles to clench in an unrelenting pause.

Her eyes looked up to find the creature lowering its head towards her and taking a joyful sniff. The wind seemed to catch her hair and launch it forward towards the creature's nose until it exhaled and threw it back again.

"Sakura! Get up now!"

She blinked, and just as the enormous, wolf-like creature glanced over at the voice, unhurried, she snatched up the machete she'd dropped by her side and sliced into the large, rubbery wet nose.

The creature yelped, much like a whiny dog, and took a fumbled step back, diving it's nose into the earth and holding it down with its paw. As the ground shook beneath her, she stumbled to her feet and took shaking steps back.

The large head raised once more, its shoulders firming and widening. Those golden eyes seemed to glow with a newfound hatred, and Sakura couldn't help but tremble.

"Move aside!" A man's voice bellowed from Tsunade's direction. Sakura looked towards the sound, unable to help feeling joy at the sight of over fifty armed soldiers standing behind her bewildered and concerned Aunt. By her side stood a tall, muscular man in uniform, towering over Tsunade with a stern expression on his aged face.

But before she could happily obey the man who began shouting orders at the officials in black combat uniforms, the beast in front of her (whose eyes never left her once) jolted forward, its mouth widening to make a snack of her.

Tsunade screamed at Sakura, her heart skipping a beat and her stomach threatening to launch its contents back up her throat. She and the fifty one troops alongside her watched in horror as the young eighteen year old launched her blade at the creature's nose, where it embedded successfully and a large amount of glimmering blood rained down upon her. The impact of its landing made her stumble backwards and tip over the Guardian's uprooted tree trunk, where the strange bright light dwelled from.

The markings carved into the deep brown body began to beam brightly, and obscure the vision of the forest's Mother, Sakura and the beast. The only thing Tsunade was sure of was that when the unexplained light eventually faded into nothing, leaving them all to wonder if it had actually happened or if they had imagined it, the tree still stood proudly unaffected, the dog had let itself tumble to the floor, where it whimpered and whined at the blade still sunk in its skin, and Sakura was nowhere to be found.

Unable to blink, Tsunade looked all around the area for signs of her brilliant minded niece. Everything seemed still. Even as the many soldiers around her ran forward, and shot their tranquilising darts at the beast which wailed and grew weary, the place seemed mute and still. The beast crashed to the floor, shaking her already numb legs as she blindly ran forward towards the tree, expecting to find her pink haired niece lying in a pile on the floor after falling over a root.

She'd complain at her, tell her how reckless she was and perhaps beat her black and blue like she used to do during training, before gripping her tightly until she complained she couldn't breathe.

But she wasn't lying dizzily on the floor, waiting to be tugged to stand and forced away from the creature, which was slowly falling asleep. She was gone, missing. She searched all around the beast, pausing to look at the tree and the bloody handprint of her niece's.

"The blood requirement has been filled," someone spoke behind her. She whirled around, willing her rapidly beating heart to calm so she could hear beyond the pounding in her chest.

There stood a man, in a sleeveless brown jacket over a long sleeve red shirt. His glasses enlarged his crystal blue eyes almost comically, but Tsunade wasn't in the mood to laugh. She was confused and worried to hell.

Her sister's voice echoed in her ears, _"Aww, Tsu-Tsu! You'll look aft'a her, riiight?"_

"Who are you?" She demanded firmly, though the stance and strength in her voice wavered; a mere shadow of her usual temper.

"Oh, excuse me. My name is Joshua, I'm a scientist. My research became too useful for the government to ignore after the disappearances. So I'm here to make sense of the Guardian Mother."

Tsunade frowned, remembered the pieces she'd deciphered before her niece had interrupted her. She'd been so irritated with her interruptions, oblivious to the beast which stared her down. A blood requirement?

"Where is she?"

His eyes averted quickly, and he thumbed the glasses further up his nose as though they slipped. His light brown, cleanly cut hair was as smart as he made himself seem, she duly noted. She couldn't comprehend his next answer, yet when his mouth opened, she hung on his every word.

"I'd say, over five hundred years in the past."

**To Be Continued...**

**Well there's the first chapter of this story I've been toying with for over a year. I have eight chapters written so far (all roughly ten pages) and plan on updating every Monday night.**

**Review with your comments.**

**V**


	2. The Unbelievable

**Authoress Note: **Wow, not one review...

**Story Fact: **I was greatly influenced by The Forbidden Kingdom (NOT Inuyasha lol, though I do like the show). I love Jackie Chan! I was also influenced by these amazing books (Dragon Actually, and About A Dragon) by an authoress called G. A. Aiken. Only I couldn't use the dragon/human concept since it's already been done in a wonderful Neji Sakura fiction.

**02 The Unbelievable**

_Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; _

_each has their suffering. _

_Some suffer too much, others too little._  
**Buddha**

Sakura cursed loudly and untangled her legs from the uprooted bark, looking around wildly. Where were the soldiers? The tall guy with the scared face? Tsunade? The beast?

She shivered as a soundless breeze hit her exposed arms. "Tsunade?" She called, stopping herself when her voice echoed around the meadow unpleasantly.

She pushed to her feet and climbed over the jungle of roots until she was on flat surface once more. People don't just disappear like that. And beasts, that big? No way did they vanish out of thin air.

She sucked in a deep breath. "Tsunade!" She shouted, a little louder this time.

Overheard, a flock of crows chirped and cried, flying out from their spot hidden in the trees and further from Sakura and her screaming.

Not wanting to stick around in a clearing by herself, she dashed for the cover of the trees, easily remembering which direction she and her Aunt had travelled from. She ran through blindly, stumbling over foliage in her way and tripping over smaller versions of the Mother Guardian's gigantic roots. When she emerged ten minutes later, she stumbled to a stop and tried to catch her breath. She lifted her arms to inspect the scrapes and cuts she'd gathered from the branches and twigs in her way, which she had uncaringly dashed through, but her interest was lost when she glanced around.

The barrier was missing, along with the road which they'd walked along to get here.

Her feet blindly led her along the dusty old road, while her eyes took in the strange scenery of a countryside. Endless fields of tall grass and wildflowers sat all around her quite innocently, like they belonged there. Where were the sectioned walls surrounding the lands? The fences and farm houses which populated the area?

Where the hell were the cows and sheep she'd been eyeing before they entered the dangerous Forest of Death?

Across the road, Sakura spotted a middle-aged woman, with a cloth slung over her shoulders, filled up with carrots and potatoes. Her hand held onto a small boy, who was jumping excitedly as he walked, telling the woman a story no doubt.

When the woman looked up, Sakura felt suddenly self-conscious as she noticed the difference between them. The woman's dress reached her ankles, and was tight across her bulging stomach with laces and such. It looked dull, and dirt ridden and the ends were baggy and torn.

It was like she'd stepped into the past...

Sakura crossed the road towards her and bowed lowly, confusing the woman somewhat. "Excuse me, I think I'm lost," Sakura lied guiltily, knowing very well she was headed towards the town along the road. She needed to hear the woman talk; perhaps she would reveal something about Sakura's current predicament?

The woman took a startled step backwards and looked Sakura up and down, taking in her beige shorts (which she'd become fond of on her many expeditions with her Aunt) and black vest top, which didn't have her name stamped across the back like her others.

Lastly, her gaze lingered on Sakura's exposed legs and the woman blushed, averting her eyes to look Sakura in the eye. "Are you injured? What on earth are you wearing?"

Sakura only just realised she was covered in the beasts blood, and her own, which she had coughed out onto her hand.

When Sakura didn't answer, the woman quickly replied to her question, seeming a little embarrassed about her rudeness. "Where are you headed?"

"Cardel, it is along this road, isn't it?"

The woman frowned and shook her head, "I'm afraid I have never heard of such a village." _Village, _Sakura thought desperately. "Perhaps you mean Adel? It is along this road."

Adel? She'd never heard of it, and Sakura was very sure of her whereabouts. "Ugh, thank you, I'm sure I was simply mistaken. So, uh, are you going to some sort of convention?" Sakura asked jokingly, referring to the woman's clothes.

Her unkempt eyebrows lowered in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't understand, Miss."

Sakura's smile fell, and all too suddenly, a sickening thought hit her. It seemed silly, but right now, she'd believe anything. "What year is it?"

The woman smiled, finally able to answer something Sakura would find useful. "1509"

"1509?" Sakura repeated in disbelief. "No way, you're kidding right?" The woman took a startled step backwards and the small boy in her hand hid behind her legs, still silent and avoiding her eyes.

He tugged on his mother's dress and looked up at the woman. "Mother, she dresses funny."

Sakura felt as though something heavy had landed on her shoulders. Five hundred years. That wasn't possible; such a thing didn't exist! It was unheard of!

"_It talks of a Mother Guardian and a passage of time"_

She took numb steps backwards from the woman. "Uh, thank you."

When she began walking away, the woman's voice called out to her, "Y-You shouldn't go there." Sakura turned back to her, feeling confused. "H-Haven't you heard? The village is under siege by Mist soldiers. They aren't very tolerant of outsiders, especially since there are rumours that the country's soldiers are travelling to take the lands back."

Sakura felt her head becoming fuzzy with each new piece of information. Under siege? Soldiers? Lands? "Thank you, but I need to go there."

Honestly, she really didn't need to go there. Perhaps she simply wanted reassurance; she didn't even know. She was lost in time and confused. Some small piece of her refused to believe she'd been propelled into the past by a damn tree. It would be the proof she needed to finally settle her mind.

"Then, if you'd like, I can take you there. I have to take today's load to the farmhouse but I'm heading back shortly. I live there, you see."

Sakura smiled, "Thank you, that's very kind, but I'll be fine."

Without giving the woman time to protest, she turned and headed on her way back towards the train station and the town of Cardel. She wasn't quite sure she fully believed the situation or of such a town, but she was sure she'd find out eventually. Suddenly, she was thankful for her limitless knowledge of History, thanks to her Aunt. Regardless of the fact it was what landed her in this mess. She trudged along the road, remembering all she could from the past, when she heard laughter and music from somewhere inside the Forest she'd just escaped from. When she glanced over, she realised the darkness possessed by the Forest of Death didn't linger there, and the trees were relatively normal looking.

Testing her knowledge on the spot, she realised what she'd mistaken for that hellhole forest was in fact the smaller and less menacing forest which surrounded the lakeside just beyond the Holy Land. It was a popular fishing district and as much as the government tried to section off the lake as well, which didn't possess any threat aside from being linked to the Forest of Death, they were unable to thanks to Cardel. Its town was comprised of fishermen, who made their living out by that lake.

The laughter slowly merged with chanting and shouts of command, and Sakura's mind worked out an answer which suited her fine. Was it the soldiers the woman spoke of? Or the approaching army she'd mentioned was rumoured? Maybe it was bandits!

Unable to help her curiosity and thirst for an answer, she slowly entered the forest, following the sounds of male voices and trying to distinguish what they meant.

"...rope 'im down!"

"Hold 'im tight boys!"

"I'm gonna dine of roasted god tonight!"

Sakura frowned, wondering if the men were drunk, and stopped moving forward when she spotted the men. They were positioned by the lake, which looked wilder and had a feeling of freedom surrounding it than she last remembered. The warning signs and instructions for new fishers were gone, and the banks were free from litter. It was beautiful.

A group of three men were giddily laughing, with their arms slung around one another's shoulders and a bottle in hand as they swayed and sung. Each wearing their own set of plain pants and mucky shirts. Some wore tight, brown leather jackets, and seemed to be the ones throwing orders around.

Others tugged on ropes, and as she moved in for a closer look and peered behind a tree, she was unable to help the gasp that escaped her. It... It was the beast! She stopped her mulling before she got too excited and hopeful when she noticed that it was unlike the beast that had tried to make a meal of her. Instead, its fur seemed thicker and was the darkest shade of black she'd ever seen. It would be nearly unidentifiable during the night, which was a worrisome thought. Still, the sun was still in the sky, and night was unlikely to fall any time soon.

She looked closely, and found few of the men were struggling to tug the creature to the earth in submission. If they took a step back and actually looked, she wondered if they'd realise the beast still appear as though it had the upper hand. It seemed like it could quite easily rise to stand and crush them with its paw.

She should have put two and two together when the beast attacked her. They were quite well known as deities and gods, and most often, the rulers of the country. The race died out some hundred years later, but it didn't make sense to Sakura. Why were they trying to capture and hurt someone they referred as their superior?

More ropes flew over the great beast, which watched them all seemingly bored. Still, its chances were becoming fewer with the many ropes they kept leashing the beast with. Eventually, when the men felt satisfied with their efforts, their leader took a few more steps forward and stared the beast, in what she presumed was the eye.

"Identify yourself beast!" Sakura raised her eyebrow at the man. Did he expect an answer? She resisted laughing, thanks to the overwhelming threat of the beast's presence and the large group of armed bandits.

Unsurprisingly, the creature stared back at the man, unaffected. It looked as though they had just appeared when he'd been having a nap. His paws were still crossed where his head had no doubt rested. Cowards.

"Identify, or risk losing limbs every time I go unanswered!"

The giant wolf tilted his head almost mockingly, paused and then took a sniff of the air. Sakura almost squealed when its head whirled around and looked her in the eye. Could it smell her? Perhaps it was the blood she was covered in?

Whatever the case, the beast looked back towards the man, who was slowly turning red. "Hand me the axe!"

As commanded, the boy-man who had been standing behind him tugged over an enormous axe, stripping the grass from the ground as he went then let the man take the handle and lift it easily.

Sakura felt her heart beat wildly as she stared up at the beast which didn't flinch. It was like the creature didn't take the man seriously. Then, feeling his patience slip, the leader walked towards his paw and steadied the axe.

Sakura never felt so stupid and so impulsive before, but seeing what they were about to do to the creature, which had yet to struggle and raise its paw against them, she dashed from her cover into the clearing by the lake, startling the men and drawing attention to herself.

"Stop it!" She held her hands out with the motion, praying the man would lower his weapon to the ground.

Instead, he looked at her, not bothering to hide his surprise, and let his mouth hang open as he stared down at her exposed legs, boots and beige shorts. Even what little cleavage she had was showing above the vest she wore, but she didn't care right now. These men were brutes and if necessary, she'd teach them a lesson.

She was most startled to find that, now her vision wasn't obscured by the cover she had taken, and the broad daylight shone down on the magnificent beast, which seemed almost refined from its tied down position, it had the most deadly yet beautiful crimson eyes.

What had she gotten herself into?

"I thought you worshipped these creatures like gods?" She demanded, unable to mask her confusion.

A nearby bandit bellowed with laughter more prominently than the rest, who also found her words amusing. He spoke out loud to her in a condescending tone, "We're bandits! We worship no man!"

Man? She glanced at the beast, which watched her with a focus she'd never known any human to possess. She sharply looked away from those distracting eyes and back at the leader when he spoke.

"What an unusual girl. Is that your blood?"

Sakura looked back down to her stained red skin, which was hardening thanks to the brown beast's blood, and her dried up vest. "No" Well, it was partially right.

Murmurs echoed amongst the men and Sakura was only able to grasp a few of the many, involving 'blood', 'woman', 'pink hair' and 'indecent clothes'.

The leader caught onto the last and grinned at her, licking his lips as though there wasn't an amazing beast in front of him. "Not that we're complaining, right lads?" The men cheered gallantly, waving their swords into the air. "That's how we do things; indecently."

Sakura grimaced, "You're a disgusting man."

He laughed at that, seemingly agreeable, and then glanced over towards the closest member of his little cult. "Tie her up; we'll enjoy her_ company_ as we feast on this beast tonight."

Sakura sucked in and held her breath while the men began cheering again, and looked over towards the man who was approaching her with a maddened look in his eyes.

"Don't worry, girlie. I won't bite!"

She raised her hands, as though trying to calm him down, and looked him in the eye, careful for his approach. When he snatched for her arm, she turned the tables, yanked him forward and shot her hand out for his neck, hearing a satisfying crack which lulled him into an unconscious state. When he flopped to the floor, she stood back from his falling body and glanced towards the leader, who became silent as he watched her.

She glanced around the crowds as she bent down slowly and retrieved the man's sword. It wasn't an impressive weapon, she noted somewhere in the back of her mind, but it would have to do.

Then an uproar occurred when she steadied her blade in her hand and looked to the second closest man, aside from the one at her feet.

The leader suddenly found his voice, and shouted at his men in a crazed voice "Get her!"

She panicked, ready to defend herself (regardless of the fact she was more useful with her hands than a sword) but the giant beast came to life, standing tall and snapping the ropes with little effort. The men around him wailed and screamed then ran for every direction, causing an uproar. Soon, the bandits weren't interested in her, as they glanced up at the silent beast. Some stood still, shaking with fear and unable to move, yet the majority ran off in every direction, seeking cover amongst the trees and even diving into the lake.

* * *

The leader turned to his men, prepared to call order, but the dark wolf effortlessly stood on him and silenced him permanently. His whole being snapped with a sickening crunch. The beast paid him no mind, no... his eyes hadn't moved from the sight of the girl who had foolishly entered the clearing to save him. Like he needed saving; by a girl no less.

But then, he had watched her rid herself of that bandit and found himself unable to look away. Was it a fluke? Surely it must have been; women didn't fight. In fact, they were refused to do much beyond the household chores. Perhaps she had lashed out and struck lucky. It was the most probable reasoning. Then again, he had heard of a demonic tribe somewhere north of Wind Country with women warriors. He'd dismissed it as a silly tale. Women were weak.

But he couldn't concentrate on her. He couldn't work her out to ease his mind of its ramblings and confusion. Not when she smelt so familiar. Not when she smelt of one of their own. She had claimed the blood staining her skin wasn't her own. Perhaps she stumbled across his dead body. No man could stand up to a Shifter, let alone a woman.

He found the men surrounding him were beginning to get too loud and when he ordered them all to assault her, he snapped. He wouldn't have her die after interfering in his business.

Mindless of the men running in every direction, including the one past the girl, he headed forwards. She was oblivious to his approach, or perhaps couldn't concentrate on it because of the men pushing past her. Eventually, as she turned to avoid one man, another shoved her and she fell on her backside. When it was clear the only two left were himself and the girl, he stopped moving.

The girl mumbled and pushed herself to her feet, then looked up to find he was almost on top of her. She tripped backwards, continuing to walk until her back collided with a tree. She gripped onto it tightly by either side, and turned away when he lowered his nose to her level and sniffed deeply. Her hair was flung forward thanks to his deep breath, obscuring her face wildly, but he was sure now of the scent she carried.

When she peered up at him, through her messed up hair, he paused, finding interest in her bright, viridian eyes which looked up at him carefully. His eyes trailed downwards to her unusual clothing and then paused on her bare legs.

Damn; what the hell was she wearing? Didn't she know this section of the country had been foolishly taken over by Mist? Any chance to defile or wrong Fire Country would be taken, and if she paraded around like some kind of prize, she'd be taken up on the offer in a heartbeat, even if she were much less attractive than she was.

With swiftness she'd never known, he pushed forward and trapped her against the bark with his nose. She sucked in a breath, and grabbed onto his nose tightly, trying to push him away, but when he pulled back and lifted up, she was launched into the air with him thanks to her unrelenting grip.

She screamed and looked down to the distance from the ground. Finding no other way to safety, she pulled up and climbed atop its outstretched nose which bobbed as he walked towards the lake.

"No, wait!" She tried unsuccessfully. But it was unheard as the creature lowered his head and tossed her into the chilling lake.

When the water surrounded her, she kicked to the surface and took a deep gulp of air; the one she hadn't managed to take before she was thrown in. She swam her way to the bank and pulled herself out, thoroughly drenched and now freezing. The wind seemed to pick up and hit her wet skin ruthlessly, making her teeth chatter. She crossed her arms and took gasps of air.

"You big... st-stupid m-mutt!" She cursed, forgetting she was yelling at a beast five times her size. "W-What the h-hell was that for?!"

The wolf regarded her once more and then turned away, heading back to the camp nearby. His men would be wondering where he'd wondered off to. He hardly expected them to believe he'd been entertaining cowardly troops and a foul-mouthed woman-child. She shouted after him, but cut herself off midway through her cursing.

Good, if she finally realised she'd just bad mouthed a so called 'god' perhaps she would survive longer if she crossed another. She didn't need to know that he'd dunked her in the lake to rid her of the smell of blood. If another Shifter picked up the trace, he wouldn't stop to ask questions, but rather maul her to death.

To have their blood staining her garments, no matter how sparse they were, wasn't a wise idea. She was lucky he didn't particularly care as to the fate of other shifters. If they got themselves injured, it was their own damn fault.

* * *

Sakura shivered and tucked her legs closer into her chest. When the big, ugly brute had left, she'd huddled against a tree by the lake, waiting for her clothes to dry. Perhaps she should have taken them off to make the task easier, but with the possibility of bandits still lurking behind the scenery, she didn't like to take her chances.

Helplessly, she watched the night descending over the cloudy blue sky, wishing she had taken the woman up on her offer to be lead back to the so called village of Adel. Perhaps if she'd heard the ruckus the men had caused, the woman would have convinced her not to investigate. She might not have either; she would most likely have decided to stick with the woman and her child, in case the men appeared and caused trouble. Didn't the woman say soldiers had taken over?

But then... what would the fate of the black wolf have been? Crossly, she scolded herself for thinking on that overgrown, ungrateful mutt. Perhaps it would have taken its finger out of its ass and done something. It was clear the men had no hold over the animal; why had she intervened? She almost had a bandit gang after her.

She dropped her knees and patted herself down. Her clothes were still damp, but wouldn't cause her bother if she continued along the path to Adel, which she suspected was Cardel. With that in mind, she stood up and headed back for the path she'd been travelling along.

At least she was certain of one thing now. Either, she was stuck in a bad dream (a coma perhaps, and this was some sick fairytale her mind had constructed for its own amusement) or she really was in the past (somehow). Either way, her situation didn't seem too grand.

As she walked, she thought up on her coma scenario. It made some sense. When had she fallen into it? After the beast had struck? But there were no such things as beasts that size, unless they were recorded in old legends and passed along in old wives tales. Did that mean something happened before she even set off for home. Was she still in Suna, in some white-walled hospital room, sweating from the unbearable heat?

Didn't awakened coma victims claim they heard voices? She hadn't heard one. Maybe there was something in this story she was supposed to do before her mind was satisfied enough to let her off the hook and plunge her back into full awareness. Whatever it was, it hadn't made itself known and all she could do was continue walking and pray for something to make sense... eventually.

**To Be Continued...**

**Sorry it couldn't be updated yesterday. I was at work all day.**

**Review please**

**V**


	3. The Unaffiliated

**Authoress Note: **Okay, so a few reviews this time. It's funny since there are more SakuSasu fans than any other yet no one ever reviews a SasuSaku fiction.

**Story Fact: **Whenever I need to write a battle, I listen to the Mortal Kombat theme tune. It really gets your creative juices flowing!

**03 The Unaffiliated**

_However long the night, the dawn will break.  
__**African Proverb**_

The black armour he held in his hand had turned cold during its absence from his body. Yet he didn't complain as he strapped it to his left shoulder securely, prepared to head back to camp.

He set off walking, unable to keep the frown from his face. Those bastards had snuck up on his whilst he slept. Leading an army of hundreds across barren lands for three days wasn't something which helped you sleep at night, especially after learning the borders had been crossed by those fools from Mist. They could have spread throughout the countryside by now, like the cockroaches they were. So when he made it to the final resting point, he took an unauthorised leave (like anyone would or could order otherwise from him) to rest before the fight.

Then those buffoons had come along and woke him up. At first, he was groggy, unsure of what was happening (which certainly wouldn't have been the case had he slept properly the days previous) but as his senses sharpened, he found himself confronted with idiots who thought they had took him by surprise. They had, something he was loath to admit, but it would take more than a lousy sudden appearance to take him down. He decided to wait it out and watch the monkeys perform before either devouring them or ripping them apart. Only, the act grew tiresome; even when they were amusing him by naively assuming they had him captured.

Shifters weren't captured. Like that girl had said; they were gods.

He hadn't realised his feet had taken him to the camp's entrance until he heard his men (those who were brave enough or well acquainted) shouting at him, questioning his absence. Though not many dared, so it seemed like his luck had placed all who were familiar with him closer to the exit.

He sharply ignored them and walked past, his eyes closed off to their intrusive stares and comments.

That girl.

The frown returned with a vengeance as he remembered her sudden appearance, just as the leader of the circus made a show of trying to cut off one of his digits. It would take stronger steal to do the job, yet it could still cause him a nasty sting.

As he was about to move (in fact he had actually twitched, prepared to swiped the asshole's head from his shoulders) he smelt it... and heard her. In the back of his mind, he had acknowledged that familiar scent of blood, yet he'd pushed it aside.

Especially when she started shouting at them all and talking back to a bandit leader. He had to wonder if she was brave or just a moron.

"Sir, the troops have rested well, we're ready to head out"

He didn't glance up at his second in command. He didn't particularly like the invasive Captain, yet he was unable to choose his own second as the Commander himself had picked him. Really, what was his brother thinking?

"Prepare to leave"

Reaching the village would take an hour at the least, for the benefit of the soldiers on foot. Whilst shifted, his large footsteps could carry him further than the horses they were limited by, yet doing so often freaked even his own men out. Besides, they weren't too far from Adel; such measures wouldn't be necessary.

"Sir, are you alright?"

"_You big... st-stupid m-mutt! W-What the h-hell was that for?!"_

Putting extra effort into revealing the depths of his irritation, he glanced over and stared out his Captain, who shifted almost unnoticeably. He saluted him, his arm crossed over his chest, and then left without another word.

He'd have been a whole lot better if his every other thought wasn't of that irresponsible girl. Time to seek the presence of the blonde who unashamedly called him his best friend. He always took his mind of things.

* * *

In what seemed like an hour's walk (it was probably less, but she was hungry, tired and cold thanks to the idiotic dog) she made it to the outskirts of a depressing little village she could only assume was Adel.

It lay further than she remembered Cardel had in the real world, but she didn't swell on that fact. The two separate names alone told her not to expect they were one in the same; not that she didn't hope.

The village didn't seem too protected, like a border village should be. There was plenty evidence of an invasion on the northern side, but she was appalled to find the only defences set up seemed to be that of the enemy country. It seemed unlikely they'd destroy any previous defences around the village, so if Konoha were so worried about a take-over, why wasn't the place guarded against the possibility of an invasion?

She quickly stopped worrying on the village's state when she approached the front gate and found two soldiers (guards, most likely) bickering at one another about something she couldn't decipher.

She approached them slowly, not wanting to freak them out with a sudden appearance and a 'good day'. When it became apparent they were oblivious to anything other than themselves, she began to walk around them and head into the village.

The two spears of the guards quickly crossed in front of her, making her stumble to an abrupt stop and back up from their makeshift barrier. They almost sliced her nose off!

"No admittance into the village!" One barked.

The other one chimed in quickly, "What's your purpose for visiting Adel?"

Then, as if they'd only just noticed, they paused and glanced down at her apparel, then looked at one another and laughed. _Rude twerps!_ If there was one thing she hated, it was when she wasn't taken seriously.

"I didn't realise I needed _your _permission. I'll go where I like!" She replied hotly, crossing her arms in a huff.

One of the guards straightened up, traces of a smile still on his face. "We've been ordered to section off this side of the village. No entry is allowed!"

"Fine, then I'll go in through another side," She walked away, intending on circling the village and trying another entrance when the guards walked in front of her and stopped her once more. She glared at the connections the spears made.

"No entry is allowed!"

"Go back the way you came!"

_Idiots_, she seethed inwardly, glancing over at the exposed entrance the guards had left open. If she dashed, she could make it inside and lose them easily. But then again, it'd cause a ruckus and she didn't want to draw any more attention towards herself than she already was.

"I'd love to, but I didn't know time travel was possible in the future, let alone your grimy past," She commented offhandedly, feigning her perfected innocent look.

The guards took the bait and looked at one another. "Time travel?"

"Precisely," she agreed, holding out a finger as she explained her point. If from what she understood about their first impression was right, her tactics would be a cinch. "If you think I dress oddly, you should see the future. I was a little surprised at first; I thought everyone I met was joking when they told me it was the year 1509. Far from the present year of 2009, don't you think?"

The guards openly gawped at her, baffled at her long-winded speech and unsure of how to react. They kept glancing at one another, unsure what to make of it.

Eventually, Tweedle-Dee spoke up. "Don't lie to us! There's no such thing as time travel!"

Tweedle-Dum piped up too, stumbling over his words as he looked over at his friend. "Actually, my cousin Meledew has been to the future. Yeah, remember when he went missing?" Dee looked confused, as did Sakura. "Said he found a flute, and when he played it, it sent him hundreds of years into the future."

Sakura raised a fine eyebrow, glanced over at the first guard and shared a look. The first turned back in protest. "Rubbish! You and I both know he lies as much as he sleeps!"

"It's true! He even aged when he returned."

"He was gone for ten years!"

The first shook his head, unwilling to believe the sense Tweedle-Dum spoke. "He had these strange markings all over his body; even he couldn't explain those!"

The second scoffed, "That's because he spends half of his day so drunk he can barely remember his own name!"

Sakura sighed and walked past the two arguing guards without difficulty. Even as she walked away, their whining voices could still be heard as their argument continued. But before she could even decide on her next move, a pleasant, familiar voice called out to her.

"Miss! Miss!"

The middle-aged woman she'd met along the roadside waved at her, rushing forward to her side and placing a hand over her chest. "I began to worry when I asked around and nobody had seen you. Did you get lost?"

Sakura smiled and shook her head, "I took a little detour towards the lake." Her mind flashed to the damn dog again and her teeth clenched together in frustration.

The woman gasped and placed a hand over her mouth, "You didn't! That area is popular among bandits; particularly Luther! I'm surprised to see you alive!"

A picture of the bandit leader with the enormous axe flashed in mind and she smiled, so as not to worry the woman. "I didn't see anyone," she lied quickly.

The woman nodded and took Sakura's hand. "We were just about to sit down to dinner; come and join us! Tell us where you're from!"

Sakura blushed, protesting as the woman dragged her through the streets she hadn't had time to inspect. "Ah, that's fine really. I don't want to impose!"

Her stomach chose that moment to release a loud moan, protesting against her refusal to eat free food. She glanced away when the woman smiled knowingly, "It's no problem, really."

The streets of Adel, she found, were as abysmal as the cities outside image. Whether it was thanks to the night which hung overhead, or the eerie glow of the crescent moon, the streets were dark and murky. Small, misshapen houses with thin thatched roofs and creaky wooden walls sat gloomily at uneven intervals, each with their own tales of life from inside. The gaps beneath the doors glowed warmly.

Sakura sighed, spotting several homeless men and women huddled between the houses, making use of their structure to block the chilling wind. Some, she was pained to see, even held children in their arms protectively, and whispered among each other secretively. Each gazed up at her solemnly as she passed.

The town seemed... devastating. Whether the soldiers had influence over the situation of the villagers or not was uncertain. She felt like she was standing within a ticking time bomb; it was little wonder the town didn't survive, as she suspected. After all, she'd never heard of Adel before, and no town would be placed so close to another. Its demise was only logical.

Eventually, they came across a similar house, and the woman wasted no time in pushing open the door, and letting Sakura inside. She immediately identified the little boy, crowding around an elderly woman, who patted his head and spoke to him with a low, croaky voice. His eyes were dancing happily with wonder, until she walked in and his attention was drawn to him.

He avoided her eyes quickly (shyly, she noticed) and sat down quietly as the old woman watched her with wise, blue eyes.

"You... are not from around here," was the greeting she received from the elder. She bowed lowly, confusing the surprised woman.

"No. At least not in this time," she blurted out before she could help herself. She avoided her gaze when the brunette woman who invited her frowned for a moment, confused by her words. Apparently, they didn't hold her interest long.

"It's as I thought!" The woman holding her hand said gleefully. She dropped her hand and held her own together in front of her mouth, barely containing her excitement. "Please tell me, have you any word of the capital?"

"K-Konoha?" She guessed, knowing the great capital had stood for longer than history had known. The woman nodded, her hopes rising with Sakura's confirmation. Only, Sakura didn't know anything. "Sorry, I don't know anything."

The woman lost the glee her smile had held, yet she maintained the gesture somewhat crookedly out of politeness. "I see"

From outside the small hut, the sounds of men screaming at one another quickly filled the air and the small family of three froze. Sakura glanced behind her, noticing the doors across the distance had opened swiftly, and families piled out onto the streets, holding one another tightly.

Sakura walked out, squeezing through the crowds, followed closely by the middle-aged woman, who nervously wrung her hands together, looking down the street towards the village's entrance. Soldiers - many soldiers Sakura would have never expected to have been contained within such a small village - ran through the streets, heading out to guard the entrance against the unknown threat.

"Sound the alarm!"

"They're here"

"Gather the men, quickly!"

"Take your positions"

Sakura felt her body turned colder than the thick night's air, and even though this war had nothing to do with her, she felt herself overcome with concern and fear. The families all around her were very much the same, only they openly revealed their worry, mumbling and crying amongst one another in fright. After all, it was Mist versus Fire, and the small village and all its inhabitants were in the way.

"They're finally here," the woman spoke emotionally. Sakura glanced over at her.

"This place is gonna get dangerous; isn't there anywhere you can escape to?"

The woman didn't look at her; her steely gaze was fixated on the soldiers running from the village and out to meet the enemy; but she shook her head.

Whether it was a sense of defeat or she was truly answering her question, she spoke, "There's nowhere to hide."

"Then leave the village. Gather everyone outside, away from the fight. Mist cannot condemn you for leaving at a time like this and Konoha is fighting to claim the village back. Make sure to stay out of the way until things calm down."

The woman looked up at Sakura with wondrous eyes, the lines beneath them becoming prominent as she turned her head towards the moon. A worn out, beautiful woman in Sakura's opinion. She'd love to have seen her when she was younger.

Understanding Sakura's words, the woman nodded, and glanced around at the prying ears of her neighbours, who were staring at Sakura oddly. "You heard her; get everyone outside of the village, away from the battle. Keep together."

After hesitating, the crowds looked to one another, each concerned and unsure of the wisdom behind leaving the comfort of the village. Sakura's patience snapped.

"If they move the battle inside the village, you'll find yourselves trapped and separated! Move out or risk your own lives!" She shouted at them none to gently. She was used to bellowing at her aunt for her own protection when they raided their many sites. She was used to shouting at the men who opposed her or didn't listen when danger approached. Not this.

The command seemed to work; and she realised with a start that this was what the people lacked; a command, and order from someone ready to be responsible for them. Wasn't there a leader within the village?

As if reading her thoughts, the hospitable woman beside her shook her head, hesitant to leave. "When Mist invaded, they killed out mayor. Without someone to guide them, they're lost and confused."

"Who did the responsibility go to after he died?"

"His daughter, Isabel; but Mist's Captain kept her close. We rarely see her now."

"Where is she?"

The woman frowned, unsure of what Sakura's intentions were. "She should be in the centre of town, within her father's house. It became their base of operations."

Sakura nodded and turned to head for the house and find this Isabel, but the woman by her side snatched her wrist and held her back almost desperately. "Where are you going?"

"Where do you think?" She replied with a disbelieving frown. "The villagers need a leader."

"Couldn't you-?"

"No way! I'm no leader, and unless they have their rightful heir, some will be doubtful and unsure. Tell them to wait for Isabel."

"Wait, it's dangerous! Those men are horrid!"

Sakura turned and smiled at her, "Don't worry; I'm pretty damn horrid myself!"

The woman blinked disbelievingly and slowly nodded, not happy with the idea but unable to complain any further. She turned to find her son and mother waiting for her, their faces fearful and unsettled. She quickly hurried them off to follow the crowd of villagers moving together as a group.

Sakura didn't bother watching any longer. As she set off into a frantic run for the centre of the run-down village, she found herself lost in her thoughts again. Why did she find herself in these situations? Whenever something happened, she found herself volunteering to do the unbelievable. Then again she usually did so in the present too. Still, she doubted she'd be able to stand back and watch the village being destroyed with no one to help the villagers.

When she made it to the Adel's entrance, she glanced out at the blanket of soldiers descending the hill, colouring it in an ominous shade of black as the darkness refused to shine light down on their silver armour. When Fire's soldiers collided with the front line Mist had hurriedly put together, the men fought a battled of strengths and overthrew those on horses. They quickly entangled themselves with one another, and the sound of bloody war cries and clashes of metal grew louder and messier.

She was too horrified to look away.

* * *

They spread quickly down the hill, charging at the feeble line the intruders had barely managed to create in time. He didn't bother joining in to test their strengths, instead jolting his horse into action and jumping over their defences. Some men headed for him, but before he even needed to draw his sword, his own soldiers had managed to pull through and surround him. The blue eyed hellion he'd prefer as his second came into view quickly.

"Sasuke!"

He glanced over his shoulder at the blonde and nodded, turning in time to kick an approaching guard away from his steed. They both trampled onward, until their horses were freed from the sea of bodies, and then ran quickly through the village.

As any good soldier knew, taking out the leader left the troops confused and weary.

* * *

When the manor came in view, Sakura could barely believe the brilliance of the brick building. So unlike its surrounding neighbours, the house held a dark elegance about it, yet it was plain save for the lit torches mounted all around the outside.

The door pushed open easily enough, and she charged up the stairs, passing through what little defences the manor still held. She could only assume its guard was down because the men were sent to the battle close by.

Still, that didn't mean the manor was unguarded.

Running her acquired blade through the last of the men in her way, she walked towards the double doors at the end of the house and took a breath. She tried not to count the men left whimpering by the doors, or up the stairs she'd raced up. She had tried, in vain, to talk sense into them. In the end, all she could do was take them down, making sure to miss organs and other fatal points in their body. Most had bloodied arms or legs, yet didn't bother getting back up to try again.

She steeled her resolve and pushed open the last doors. When they creaked open and jarred, the sole occupant of the room turned from the giant, curtained window and stared at her incredulously. In his hand was a half-drunk glass of red wine; she almost grimaced at the sight he created. He seemed a little too calm.

Then his eyes lowered, and for a brief moment, she thought he was staring over her apparel and thinking up a witty remark. Only, his eyes weren't drawn to her bare legs, or nearly-visible cleavage (no matter how small). She, too, followed his line of sight and sighed. The blood began to run down the length of the blade she clutched and drop from its tip to the wooden floor.

"Where is she?"

The man looked generally confused. "Who?" His smooth baritone asked.

"Isabel"

He turned his head calmly and Sakura followed, off into the corner where a young woman was huddled, shaking. For the first time, Sakura noticed that they were situated in a rather large study. Bookshelves lined the room, from the floor to the ceiling, barring the window where the unknown male stood quite calmly.

Isabel was quite a lovely woman, Sakura realised. With an ample chest and long legs, she was surely someone the village treasured. Yet her dirty blonde hair was tousled and thrown over her face, and the beginnings of a swelling had taken over her cheek. She'd clearly been handled rather roughly. Her deep, brown eyes locked onto Sakura's and she held her gaze.

Help me.

Sakura turned her gaze back onto the man. "I take it you're the cause of the invasion?"

He sighed and glanced down into his glass, swishing the liquid in circles. "I led the troop, if that's what you mean."

"I just came for her; the villagers need her with them until the battles over. It's not safe here."

Some part of her noted that he must surely realise the villagers could hardly defend themselves against either forces. Staying out of the way was in their best interests, and having the heir with them would calm them down.

The man looked back up at her, yet she couldn't distinguish his features thanks to the moonlight which poured through the window. He was a mere shadow.

"A woman warrior? Have Konoha really fallen so low?"

Sakura frowned, "I'm not part of Konoha's troops, nor am I a warrior. Surely you can see no harm in letting her stay with the villagers until things settle down?"

"Not a warrior?"

He seemed ignorant of any conversation leading to her taking Isabel from his clutches, she realised.

"I see, then," he paused, placing the glass down onto the small table by the luxurious red chair. "That makes this much easier."

Before she could blink, he had unsheathed the thin blade from his side and began charging at her. She barely had time to lift her own up to block the attack, while Isabel clutched her head and screamed out.

* * *

When he ran up to the main doors, he stood stiff upon the sight of writhing bodies leading up the grand staircase. The doors were both thrust open, and the manor had lost all of its warmth to the night's cold air, which filtered through the home.

He stepped through, glancing back to nod at the blonde who paced the doors, taking care of the situation outside.

As he descended the stairs, his eyes roamed over the injured men who lay moaning, clutching at their wounds like babies. Arms had been sliced, along with calves, shoulders and even backs. None were fatal; his mind briefly acknowledged as he reached the top of the stairs and followed the trail of whining soldiers. Who had done this?

As he rounded the corner leading to the back of the house, the vision of wide open doors and a library beyond could be seen. He approached a little slower, caution taking over his instincts when nothing moved. As he drew nearer to the doors however, a man tumbled forwards into view and then rolled to his side, avoiding he blade which had come crashing down and impaled itself into the floor. The moonlight obscured his vision of the shadows, yet he could make out when the man raised himself and sent his foot into the other, who had lost grip of their sword.

The force sent them hurtling towards the doors, where they landed and rolled over with a moan... a feminine moan.

"Glad you could join us, Lieutenant."

**To Be Continued...**

**Review please. I know there are more people reading than reviewing. Anonymous reviews will be accepted throughout the story. **

**V**


	4. The Unabashed

**Authoress Note: **Hey; Thanks for the reviews guys! To the anonymous reviewers (who I can't personally reply to for obvious reasons) Thanks so much! It really means a lot!

**Story Fact: **Each little quote from a famous person or song means something within the chapter. Can you guess what for each one?

**04 The Unabashed**

_A nation's culture resides in the hearts _

_and in the soul of its people._  
_**Mohandas Gandhi**_

Sasuke didn't bother glancing up at Mist's leader; or rather he couldn't. His eyes refused to move from the pink haired girl who lay coughing at his feet, clutching her ribs. What were the odds?

"A friend of yours?"

This time, he did glance up, but not because of the man attempting to taunt him. The girl at his feet snatched something from one of the fallen soldiers by the door, and threw it at the man with amazing speed.

His eyes widened (only a fraction) upon the sight of the smaller dagger jutting out of the leader's leg, who yelled and cursed loudly. His trembling grip tore out the dagger from his leg, while his other knee collided with the floor to lessen the strain.

The girl began taking shaky breaths as her arm lowered back to the floor to hold herself up. Sasuke had seen enough. He could think on the circumstances later, he decided as he drew his sword and stepped past the girl.

Sakura shivered and looked up to the second presence, which stood in front of her. Lieutenant, the dirty fighter had said tauntingly. Of Konoha, no doubt, otherwise he'd have run her through already. She should have been a little freaked she hadn't even seen or heard him there until the jerk had pointed it out.

Whether it was the moonlight's fault or his skin really was pale and flawless, she couldn't make out. What she did know for certain was that a girl could get lost in those inky black eyes. She wasn't sure if she was willing to be on the other end of that gaze in the near future, especially since it seemed so murderous right now. His hair was just as dark as his eyes, and hung down either side of his face to his pointed chin. The rest swept back; perhaps he'd been travelling and the wind had been unkind.

She tore her eyes from him, and instead looked over to Isabel, who still shook like a leaf, only now she wasn't screaming. Her hand covered her mouth, leaving Sakura to ponder how far down her tear stains travelled. She hated seeing others cry; even if she wasn't the most emotionally stable.

Thankfully, Isabel's eyes had only briefly swept over the new player in the twisted game, and she was back to looking at Sakura. Ignoring the grief she could see behind her hazel eyes, Sakura waved her over, cautiously looking over to the leader, who only had eyes for the Lieutenant.

Hesitantly, the Mayor's daughter glanced over to the unnamed leader, and then pushed forward onto her hands and knees to crawl over. Only when she made it to the Lieutenant's side did the Mist leader realise he'd lost his bargaining chip, and he dashed forward, unsure whether he was aiming for the Lieutenant or the Mayor's daughter.

Sakura reached out and tugged Isabel closer, just in time for the stranger to lift his sword effortlessly and parry the man, making it clear he couldn't move beyond him.

Sakura pulled Isabel to stand and moved to dash down the corridor for freedom. When she turned, however, several new soldiers were making their way down the corridor with their swords in hand.

Dismally, in the back of her mind, Sakura cursed the day she was having. Her aunt simply wouldn't believe this; or maybe she would. It was her fault they ever went near that god forsaken tree! Were they working on a way to get her back? She hoped so; she wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

Just as the men slowed cautiously and began sizing her up, she clenched both fists, realising she didn't have her sword. Panic welled inside of her, and as if the men could sense it, they began grinning.

"M-Miss?" Isabel asked shakily, peering from behind the arm Sakura used to push her back.

"It's Sakura and don't worry."

Hell, save the worrying for her! She was the one who posed a threat, not Isabel! And now she was unarmed; great.

One of the men edged closer and reached out to grab her, but she snatched his hand and yanked him forward, twisting the appendage around his back and clutching his armed hand with her other. She stared at the dumbfounded men in front of her, and tried her best to sound intimidating.

"One more step and he's done for!" She lied, hoping her voice sounded as convincing as she thought.

The three left over glanced at one another unsurely, yet the one on the left (whose eyes never left hers) called her bluff. He rushed forward, his blade held high, and Sakura squeaked in surprise, pushing the guy she held into him until the two tumbled to regain their balance.

The other two left didn't pause like she had hoped, but instead met her head on, lifting their blades to strike. Isabel screamed again, shuffling backwards and tucking herself into the wall, hoping to blend with the tapestries.

She landed on her butt with a thud and shuffled back, widening her legs to find a blade imbedded into the wooden floor in front of her nose. She released a small, shaky gasp, which the men mistook for a laugh, fuelling their anger.

Sasuke glanced back as he threw the leader away from him and cursed. While the unrelenting man he fought stood up and charged at him once more, he turned from the attack and began heading backwards, towards the surrounded women, while blocking the blows.

She leant back quickly, pushing her body onto her bent arms, and kicked her legs over her head to stand, managing to catch the asshole, who tried to impale her, in the chin. He grunted and stumbled backwards from the blow, so she used his distraction to send a blow to his stomach. He wheezed out a startled yelp and leant forward clutching the blow.

As another crept around his friend, she snatched the bent over soldier's hair and rammed her knee into his face, but before he could fall, she managed to twist his now-unconscious form and throw him into the man.

It gave her enough pause to spot several male villagers running up behind the unsuspecting soldiers armed with various farming equipment and stolen swords. But hell, Sakura couldn't judge. She'd wasted no time in swiping one of the moaning men's swords from downstairs.

They reached them quickly, and Sakura gladly stepped back by Isabel's side, who immediately clutched her arm and began whimpering in fright. Sakura held her shoulder tightly, unable to pry her eyes away from the five villagers who overpowered the remaining three guards from behind. Four villagers, she realised, watching the fifth rush past them into the room where the Lieutenant dodged underneath the crazed leader's blow.

The villager screamed a maddened war cry, lifting his pillaged sword in the air as he charged for the leader. The Lieutenant's sword lifted in the air, but he froze watching the new player entered the stage, diverting the Mist Leader's attention.

When the invading leader turned, a blade was thrust up into his stomach, and to Sakura's horror, straight through the other side. He bent over the villager's arm, giving them a clear view of the protruding weapon while he staggered for breath.

When he let out his last gaps of air and then stilled, the villager pulled away, somewhat shaken, and looked down. The Lieutenant, his hand still raised in the air awkwardly, lowered said appendage and stared blankly at the villager much like Sakura, who couldn't form words.

"..."

"..."

"Isabel!" The man turned towards the Mayor's daughter, his eyes glistening with tears which threatened to fall as he rushed to the girl who pulled away from Sakura, her arms wide.

"Car-Car!"

_Car-Car?_

They met midway, throwing their arms around one another, and weeping into the other's shoulder, mumbling sweet nothings which Sakura felt weird about. It was like... she was intruding on something. _Jeez, they could have saved it for later_, she thought sourly, looking away and rubbing her neck.

Sasuke, too, glanced away, but his eyes focused immediately on the uncomfortable green-eyed woman, who was just as baffled as him about the turn of events. He sheathed his sword, somewhat reluctantly, and stood still, not sure what to do. The leader had been defeated now; he should head out and warn the troops, putting an end to the fighting.

With that in mind, he moved to leave the sickeningly sweet scene, walking past the strange girl he'd dunked in the lake. He refused to meet her eye and show just how curious he was about her, but just as he passed, his need won out and he glanced back.

She watched him walk past, so when he turned and their gazes locked, she froze, not sure what to make of his blank expression, or the searching eyes. When he was forced to look away, thanks to his fast paced walk, she let out a shaky breath and ran a hand through her hair.

Suddenly, the emotional lovers in the centre of the room pissed her off.

She cleared her throat loudly, effectively ruining the moment as their tear stricken faces turned to her, still expressing the passion they shared. She took a moment to look over the fairly average man Isabel deemed her lover; his tawny hair stuck up a little oddly from the hysteria, and his light grey-blue eyes looked back at her questioningly.

She turned her head away and mumbled out, "He's not the only villager needing you right now."

She nodded, a pretty little blush lighting up her bruised face, and then pulled away from the unknown villager, who wiped his dirtied face and stayed close to the girl. When she walked closer to Sakura, the time traveller turned and nodded to the awaiting villagers, who had long since taken down the guards who blocked their way.

* * *

The fighting had long since stopped, or so she assumed. The sounds of clashing metal had quietened some time ago, and the yells and screamed had shortly followed. Still, she sat out in the field alongside the hundreds of villagers.

When she headed back, the crowd immediately gathered around Isabel, who started to sooth them with words Sakura didn't know she was capable of. Was this the same woman who's gripped her arm so relentlessly back in the manor? Her tears had long since dried, and out in the moonlight, her hair began to glow. Faintly, Sakura acknowledged she fit the part of a leader in the moment.

Even though she was sure the fighting had stopped now, none of the villagers made a move. They seemed to be awaiting the soldier's word, yet none had approached yet.

That was how she found herself effectively stuck out in the field with hundreds of people she didn't know. It felt... lonely. She couldn't spot the woman she'd met anywhere, and Isabel, who wasn't nearly as grateful as Sakura had expected she should be, was swallowed by the crowd.

Not sure what to do, she headed a small distance away and sat down with her legs crossed and her back to the crowd. Wow; she felt like a loner; an outcast within their little society.

She glanced back over her shoulder. Most of the villagers had sat down on the grass, eagerly waiting for the moment they could escape from the cold winds of the night and head back home.

The wails of babies and hushed murmur of the nervous folks reached Sakura's ears, however. They were still uneasy. She didn't blame them. When they'd left the manor, Sakura was horrified to find the amount of thatched roofs that had caught fire, and with the distance from their neighbouring huts, coupled with the nights strong gusts of wind; it didn't take long for the fires to spread. Some were still on fire; probably the reason why the soldiers had yet to return.

Many of the male villagers had left to give a hand, unable to stand watching their homes burn to a crisp in front of their eyes. Still, Sakura thought they should be thankful their farms remained untouched. Shelter could be solved, thanks to the nearby forest and leftover supplies the destroyed village provided. Food couldn't.

The wind picked up, and she shivered violently, wishing she had never left her backpack within that woman's house. Come to think of it, she hadn't even learned her name. How strange; invited to dinner, and she didn't have a name. It felt almost rude.

She shivered again, and looked up to the sky, trying to keep her mind off her dropping body temperature. There were so many stars. No smoke or pollution blocking up the sights of nature. She could stare at them all night.

Suddenly, something fuzzy and warm was draped around her shoulders, and she turned around to find a bright smile directed at her.

"Don't worry; we're looking after you guys now!"

Sakura glanced down at his silver armour and the fire-red Konoha emblem dancing from the metal. A soldier, she realised. When she looked back up into his startling blue eyes, she noticed he had knelt down beside her.

He ran a hand through his shocking wave of bright blonde hair. Even the night couldn't diminish its vibrant colour. "What you doing over here?"

Sakura snapped to her senses and glanced back at the villagers. Those closest to the edge of the group were staring at her and the soldier, murmuring things to one another she couldn't quite pick up.

"I'm not a villager," She answered eventually, taking note of the soldiers who stood in front of the townsfolk behind her. Out front, one man bellowed instructions to the people, yet his eyes, for the most part, remained trained upon Isabel. She was next in line to lead the village, after all.

His armour was black, just like the other guy.

"Who's he?" Sakura asked, gesturing to the grim-faced soldier who spoke to Isabel and the prying ears of the men around her.

Naruto glanced back and scowled, "That ass? He's the Captain; name's Julian."

Sakura took not of the disdain in his voice, but didn't confront it. "Captain? Shouldn't the Lieutenant be talking to her? He outranks him, right?"

Naruto paused to look stunned that she knew as much, then smiled, overjoyed with her knowledge. "Of course he does. But that guy's not the talkative type, so it's all right this once."

Sakura nodded, playing back what had happened in the manner, and the few glances she'd stolen at the Lieutenant. He didn't seem like the chatty sort, so what the soldier said didn't surprise her.

"What's your name?" She asked politely, tugging the blanket around her shoulders.

"Name's Naruto"

Sakura nodded and presented her own, taking Naruto's hand in preparation to shake it. Naruto, who reached out for her own, was about to raise it to his lips as was courteous for a Gentleman, but was stopped short when she firmly shook his then dropped it.

What a strange girl! He liked her more every second! Why was such a pretty, polite girl shaking hands like a man? He laughed, unable to help himself, but quickly wished he hadn't when she shrunk back into her blanket unsurely, wondering what she had done to cause the reaction.

She was sticking out, she realised suddenly as she turned her gaze away from Naruto and glanced back at the man who spoke to Isabel.

"What's he saying?" She asked, cutting through the silence.

Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "The village is a wreck. Honestly? It doesn't look too hopeful that we'll be able to fix the damage done."

Sakura immediately began to work out a plausible explanation for everything. The village's demise, which she saw coming (yet admittedly, not so soon), was already a given. Yet she had answers as to why Cardel was created in its place. Cardel, which was actually placed closer to the forests she had passed, was ideal for the villager's. It meant they were further from the border between Mist, and close enough to seek cover within the forests should another attack occur. Whether the villagers would risk setting foot in those forests was another thing altogether.

"So you're going to build another town for these people."

Naruto blinked, pleasantly surprised once more, and then nodded. "Well, that's the plan. Whether they'll agree or not; I'm not sure."

"They'll agree," Sakura dismissed without much thought. "I wonder how the village is named Cardel."

Before she could take back what she said, she clamped a hand over her mouth and glanced at Naruto. His eyebrows had deepened in confusion, but before he could make anything of it, and before she could make a total ass of herself, he laughed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Ah, nothing; don't mind me," she replied with her own laugh, waving his question off.

"Naruto"

Sakura stilled, and followed Naruto's lead, turning around towards the unfamiliar voice. The Lieutenant, she realised with a start. Naruto was already standing, his right arm crossed horizontally over his chest and his feet together. She briefly wondered if it was a salute of some sort.

"Sas-! Uh, Sir!" Naruto corrected immediately, with a cheeky grin which told Sakura he wasn't all too serious about the title.

Sakura twisted and stared up at the Lieutenant, who grimaced at Naruto's formality, then stared down at her.

"You should head over to your leader. They're discussing the future of your village."

Sakura scoffed, and immediately regretted it. Somewhat apologetically, she glanced away and answered. "I already know the future of that place, and it isn't my village to discuss."

"Where are you from?"

Sakura shifted uncomfortably, wondering what the hell his problem was. Out the corner of her eye, Naruto had a similar reaction, only he openly placed a hand on the Lieutenant's shoulder and whined.

"Lighten up; she got caught up in all this too."

"Did it ever occur to you she could be from mist?"

Even saying the words aloud sounded wrong to him. She'd helped out, _somewhat_, back at the lake, and in the manor. He had no doubt in his mind she had no allegiance to Mist, yet his curiosity needed to be satiated. How did you go about questioning someone who was a stranger to you?

"I'm not from Mist," she interrupted, standing up to her full height so she felt less intimidated by him looming over her. It made little difference to him; she stood at an unimpressive height for intimidation.

"So..." He pried, expecting an answer.

Sakura was sure she could feel something small bursting in her head; a vein perhaps. "_So _what?" She demanded crossly, propping her hands on her hips.

Sasuke's sneer was about to break out, Naruto realised as he gazed up at his best friend; it was something only Naruto seemed to be able to provoke when he got his friend angry or annoyed. Like a disgusted puppy; though he didn't dare suggest _that _one to Sasuke again. Sakura had guts; didn't she know who he was? Clearly not; and somehow, that fact tickled Naruto more than it should have. He began grinning.

"_Where are you from_?" Sasuke nearly hissed in aggravation.

"I..." Sakura glanced away, losing the edge in her voice. Technically, in this world (or rather time) she wasn't from anywhere. She had no home; no future (though that sounded odd to say, seeing how she came from it).

"I'm a traveller," Well, it was true, just not in the way he would suspect it to be. "I don't have a home."

Sasuke backed down, his anger ebbing away ever so slightly when he caught that vulnerable look in her eye. Like she'd only just realised herself she had nowhere to go. Her eyes saddened and he was forced to look away. His hand ran through his hair unconsciously.

"Miss!"

Sakura glanced beyond the Lieutenant, who turned around alongside Naruto, to find the woman who had taken her in for the night.

"I began to worry when you took so long. But you brought her back, just like you promised! Thank you so much!"

Sakura flushed red and smiled politely. "Uh, it's nothing."

When the woman eventually stopped beside their small group of three (now four), she looked up, only just realising she may have interrupted something important; especially when she caught sight of the Lieutenant.

"S-Sir!" She gasped out in embarrassment, ducking to her knees in apology. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt! Please forgive me!"

There was a moment's silence, in which Naruto sighed and approached the woman, helping her to her feet. Sasuke didn't pay them any attention; he was looking off into the distance, mildly embarrassed. He could feel her eyes on him, of course, and begrudgingly, he turned to catch a glimpse of the incredulous stare she sent him. Honestly, he hadn't grown a new head!

_How did a Lieutenant become so famous?_

Sakura shook her head, banishing the thoughts she was sure to never get an answer to anyway and looked towards the woman, whose head hung forward. At least she was standing now, thanks to Naruto, who patted her on the back like she was some kind of well-behaved horse.

Somehow, they all found themselves steadily walking closer to the conversation between Isabel and the ass, as Naruto had proclaimed. Julian or something; she'd already forgotten.

"I see," Isabel lowered her head, placing a finger to her lip in thought. "I suppose there's nothing else we can do."

Sakura crossed the blanket around her shoulders, glancing over at the saddened woman who'd helped her so much. Where had her child gone? And her own mother?

Isabel turned; ready to speak to those who hadn't heard. The men surrounding her, who had overheard every word looked glum. "Everyone, listen up."

When she was sure she had their attention, she continued, her voice carrying out loudly, yet remaining gentle. "Our village is beyond repair. For our own safety, and to prevent this from ever happening again, we are to be relocated. We're starting again, from scratch."

The crowds closest to her began to murmur their concern, some breaking out in tears at the thought of having to leave their homes. The crowds further back began spreading the news to those who couldn't hear, and gradually, the commotion began to spread and grow louder.

The as- Julian (she corrected herself) spoke up loudly, his voice booming over the entire population, "The border between Fire and Mist will be strengthened. We will ensure our defences become impenetrable so that you remain safe!"

Naruto scoffed irritably; he hated it when that pompous took command like that and acted all high and mighty! Why did Sasuke stand for it? He wasn't even moved in the slightest!

Sakura glanced up at the Lieutenant, expecting a reaction of sorts. Nothing; she was disappointed.

"Is it alright for him to take control like that?" She asked before she could help herself."You do outrank him, right?"

Sasuke glanced down, his surprise hidden, but his gaze returned Julian, who glanced over at Sakura having heard every word. "He's all talk; let him have his moment," Sasuke returned. He was sure Julian hadn't heard his response, yet whether he did or not wasn't his concern. Maybe he'd take the hint and realise Sasuke didn't want to be buddy's with the imbecile.

His response seemed to have earned him a short, feminine laugh, which (surprisingly) sounded pleasant to his ears. He wasn't sure he had ever made someone laugh before. Of course, the only people who laughed around him were his brother and Naruto, and he had the sneaking suspicion both were laughing at his expense.

He tried not to look at her after that.

"It's time to leave Adel behind and start a new life. We'll be closer to the farms this way, and safer, thanks to Konoha." Isabel continued. The crowd began to calm, and talk more positively, from what Sakura could make out.

Julian spoke up once more, "In honour of this new life, your village shall be named-!"

Before he could continue, Isabel interrupted, a little louder and a little perturbed by Julian's meddling with their new village. "Our village shall be named in honour of the hero you see before you! The man who defeated Mist's Leader and brought an end to the battle!"

The village waited for her word, and Sakura's stomach began to knot prematurely as the words fell from her mouth.

"Cardel!"

**To Be Continued...**

**Please review! It means a lot!**

**V**


	5. The Unexplainable

**Authoress Note: **Thanks for the few reviews I received in the last chapter. **Anonymous reviews** are more than welcome guys!

**Story Fact: **To all those who guessed it, Car-Car was in fact Cardel. Give yourself a pat on the back!

**05 The Unexplainable**

_If you reveal your secrets to the wind _

_you should not blame the wind _

_for revealing them to the trees_

_**Kahlil Gibran**_

Thinking back, Sakura wondered if it would have been smarter to make something up. After all, her mother always told her lying was bad, but a white lie for the good of another was excusable. In this case, however, it wouldn't be for the sake of another; it would be for her selfishness and possibly her freedom. Did they lock up nutters in the past?

It took her a few moments to realise she had gained two pairs of eyes; great, bulging, disbelieving eyes. She had been staring up into the sky, her thoughts self-praising and overjoyed that she had been right. While she pieced together the chain of events, the woman by her side was trying to form words.

All too quickly, she realised her mistake and looked over at the person she leaked her story to. Her mouth was hung open, trying to form some kind of sentence Sakura knew she wouldn't like, and her eyes zoomed around their small group in wonder.

Time to make a swift exit; Sakura thought.

"We can search for our stuff, right? If it survived, I mean," Sakura asked the soldiers beside her casually, praying the woman's silence would continue for another minute or so.

Naruto was sure there was something going on. Absentmindedly, he turned to Sakura and answered, "Sure, be careful though."

The Lieutenant watched her walk towards the village from the corner of his eye, and then relaxed when she was no longer around. By his side, Naruto's thoughts were troubled; he was sure he'd heard that name before but couldn't remember where.

Something tugged at Sasuke's sleeve, and he glanced down at the woman, who forced herself a metre away and lowered her head again. "Ah, excuse me... it's just..."

"Spit it out," he nearly moaned. The stuttering fools who recognised him were all the same. Barely able to string a sentence together for the fear and admiration they held for his name.

"Ah, well your highness," he grimaced at the accursed word, "That woman... when we first met, she spoke of travelling to a village named Cardel. I just thought... it was strange." She glanced to her feet, taking practiced breaths to calm her nerves.

"Ah!" Naruto yelled when she finished. That was the missing piece to the puzzle. Really, it had only happened moments ago, too! In truth, the brunette common woman standing beside Sasuke had lit the way. A few villagers glanced over, curious as to what the young soldier was yelling over, but their interest was lost when he smiled apologetically and waved their attention away.

When he was sure no one outside of their circle was listening in, he spoke. "She's right! When I was talking to her, she said '_I wonder how the village comes to be named Cardel_' or something. Strange, huh?"

Sasuke frowned, feeling his stomach twist at what they said. Perhaps she was some kind of prophet?

As soon as the thought came he dismissed it. The unknown girl couldn't be a prophet. He could practically sense prophets from a mile's distance, thanks to that strange air around them and indifferent stare. In short, prophets were creeps in his eye, and the young girl was nothing alike the many he had unfortunately met.

How would she know something like this?

"_I already know the future of that place, and it isn't my village to discuss"_

The woman beside him seemed to have been encouraged by Naruto's similar story, and continued speaking, a little louder and easier for him to pick up. "Ah, she also said something odd when my family suspected she wasn't from around these parts."

From behind the village woman, an elder approached slowly and stiffly. When she caught the conversation, her eyes crinkled knowingly. "Not in this time, was her answer your highness."

The frail old woman was hunched over a boy, holding his shoulders down as if he might run off at any second. Her back seemed almost rounded, and her legs visibly shook with the strain of remaining upright; perhaps she was using him as a substitution for a walking stick. Naruto began preaching for her to find a seat and rest, but they paid him little mind. Everyone was getting serious about the girl's origin, much to Sasuke's dismay.

The boy in her hands squirmed uncomfortably, avoiding their eyes and remaining silent. His hair was messed up and ratted; Sasuke would bet he had been victim to many old women petting his head like a dog. Poor kid.

When he looked back up to the silvery-blue eyes of the old woman, he had only one thought. _Now, __she__ is a prophet. _Everything about her held that wise air of knowledge; they were more frustrating than Naruto when he was in an I-know-something-you-don't-know mood. Not a moment after being in her presence, Sasuke began to secretly grimace.

She seemed too aware of his suspicions, and smiled somewhat in his direction. He avoided her stare. "When I was younger, and more in tune with our earth. Though I may not see anything in her future, her secrets are clear to my eyes. She is not of this time."

They stared at her, unashamed of their wide-eyed surprise, or in Naruto's case, wide opened trap. Sasuke turned to him with a scowl and pushed his chin shut from its undignified gawp.

She wasn't from this time? What was she saying? He blamed age on her obviously fried mind and lack of common sense. Not only was that impossible, but she was encouraging Naruto, who was a fool for the impossible. Didn't she realise _he'd _have to deal with him afterwards?

Before his doubt could manifest, the woman interrupted his thoughts. "I've seen no such clothing from the many countries I've travelled or in any writings from the past. I suspect she is of the distant future, though how she came to be here is beyond me."

The brunette woman, her daughter apparently, gasped in surprised delight and began clapping her hands together excitedly. "When I told her the year she seemed horrified!"

Things had gone too far. Sasuke had had enough of their idiocy. "That's impossible," he dismissed rather narrow-mindedly. He'd always taken pride in being open-minded, in seeing the logic before making a judgement. But this was too much.

"Let's go, Naruto. Konoha is expecting a quick return, and plans will have to be made for the construction of the new village."

He turned without sparing a glance at the odd family, and headed back for the village entrance, where the troops were gathered and awaiting departure. He sent a half hearted glance towards a mildly irritable Julian, and then decided against ordering the same of him. He knew the way back; if he wanted to slack off and waste time, Sasuke couldn't give a crap. Maybe he'd strike lucky and get lost on the way back.

* * *

Unfortunately, they hadn't made a quick enough getaway, and Julian had swiftly made it amongst them when they departed. It was the least of his concerns; he didn't spare the man a second glance.

Since they started out on their journey home fifteen minutes ago, Sasuke found Naruto had gained an unhealthy interest in the girl from the supposed future. Every word that left his mouth had Sasuke's thought swimming with images of her, frustrating him to no end.

Her name was Sakura, he had found out.

He kept scolding himself for thinking on the name, like it mattered to him. It was just a name, yet it triggered off countless thoughts and questions about her. Questions, he was frustrated to know, that Naruto didn't have answers to. Didn't he talk to her? Naruto was well known for intruding into a person's life and finding out all within the space of a few minutes. Why did now have to be so different?

No, _he didn't care._

"I wonder if she'd take us with her, to the future! I wonder what it's like! Must be hot, since she doesn't wear much!"

_Or primitive_, Sasuke provided instead.

Naruto laughed gleefully, and continued on and on. He was thrilled to realise the only reason his own thoughts kept tracking back to the pink-haired woman was because Naruto's constant talking. The sooner Naruto shut up about her, the sooner he could think on the more important things he'd need to do within the next few days.

Successfully tuning his best friend out – something he'd grown good at over the years – he began to plan his duties. His father would expect a full report on the attack and the situation of the village when he returned, so writing that up was at the top of his priorities. He'd also made sure to find time to train and shift, in order to stretch his legs and keep him sharp. For the most part, they'd be travelling however. The journey home would be much quicker, now they could travel along the main roads without alerting the possibility of an enemy. The Mist cowards had been too scared to leave the confines of the border.

It was a worrying thought. Why invade the village and provoke Konoha? Not only that, but their numbers had been pathetic. Surely the men knew they'd be unable to win? Mist had sent mere lambs to the slaughter. What were they planning?

Naruto and the other soldiers remained oblivious; but for Sasuke, something didn't sit well. Maybe he should send a bird ahead with his worries?

"And then- Wait a minute; there she is!"

Sasuke's attention quickly snapped to the roadside, where the scantly clothed woman was walking with her hands gripping the straps on her shoulders. The soldiers who passed looked at her oddly, some of which making snide comments and laughing among friends. It was embarrassing behaviour; they were supposed to be representing their country right now.

Irritably, he headed after Naruto, who steered his horse to the side road, past the men who were calling her. Her head snapped to their attention and she glared at them threateningly; it didn't have the desired effect, however, as the men continued laughing.

Naruto passed them with a grin, oblivious to their jeering, as he called out to her, "Sakura! Hey!"

Her hands folded the parchment she has been staring at, and she raised her troubled eyes to meet Naruto's. All evidence of worry left her in an instant, and she smiled politely at him.

Sasuke followed, staring down at the soldiers who looked embarrassed at being caught, and turned their gaze away. When he was satisfied with their humiliation, he turned back and began to trot alongside Naruto, who walked beside Sakura at a slower pace.

"Where are you heading?" The Lieutenant didn't miss the sparkle in his eyes. That he believed her to be from the future was obvious. That knowing smile and the almost taunting tone in his voice were overly suspicious.

Sakura remained oblivious. She'd headed out after snatching her bag, thankful it still remained unscathed. Waiting around for the woman was out of the question, even if she hadn't thanked her. There would be questions she couldn't answer if she had, so making a quick getaway was her only choice.

She had headed back to the tree, and marked down its ancient language in hopes of crossing paths with someone who could read it. It surprised her that the soldiers were passing; she assumed they were long gone when she'd taken a detour and began a slow paced walk in the opposite direction of the recently destroyed Adel.

She shrugged her shoulders and answered him honestly, "Not sure."

She didn't quite like that glint in his eyes, or the way his lips tugged upwards, reminding her of the Cheshire Cat Alice had troubles with. She watched him suspiciously, out the corner of her eyes.

"Don't you know the area?" he questioned. Sasuke beat back the urge to smack him in the head.

Sakura laughed somewhat dejectedly and turned back to the road. "Sort of"

Apparently, Naruto liked the reaction, and the answers she gave only heightened his suspicions. He sent a quick glance over at Sasuke, who pinned him down with his own, warning one. Still, even Sasuke had to admit it fit together... even if he didn't believe it for a moment. At all.

"Why not go to Konoha? We're headed that way!"

Sasuke waited for her reaction, glancing out the corner of his eye. Never had he the urge to read a person's thoughts, but watching her mood sink somewhat while she mulled over the idea had him on the edge of his seat, or rather horse.

When she came to a decision, she lifted her head, but didn't look back at Naruto. "Yeah, I suppose that's the best thing I could do."

_Great_, Sasuke thought dismally. Instead of listening to Naruto endlessly talking about her, he'd be hearing him endlessly talking _to_ her, and her returning the questions with answers which didn't help him strengthen his resolve about not believing the old Prophet.

Naruto turned towards Sasuke with a blinding grin; he didn't even need to ask the question written all over his face. He tried his hardest to remain strong and look back to the road, but his eyes kept travelling over to Naruto, who was still looking at him.

He was almost ashamed when his shoulders caved and a soft sigh left his lips. It was all Naruto needed as confirmation.

"You can travel with us!"

Her steps seemed to edge away from Naruto defensively, and she looked back up with a small, sweet frown. "That's alright; I don't want to be a burden."

Already the troops were passing the slow paced horses following the slow paced girl. She didn't like the idea of speed walking to catch up with the energetic soldiers. She glanced back, spotting the end of the group fast approaching. No way would she keep up. They were used to walking endless distances.

"Konoha is three days away; at your pace, maybe four."

Sasuke almost slapped himself; what was he doing?

His question was quickly answered when Naruto nodded his head in agreement. If he didn't somehow make her come along, his blonde comrade wouldn't shut up about it.

The train ride to Cardel before the incident had been hours. It was almost strange hearing her hourly journey was actually a three day walk.

It was surprising to find she didn't particularly feel phased by this. She'd camped out before, granted she was never alone and in a world where the greatest threat was a stray antelope, not a twenty foot wolf-god. She was sure she could manage fine and she knew the general direction to not get lost.

"That's fine," she said at last, when she'd weighed her options.

Sasuke seemed surprised and an ugly feeling of dissatisfaction began to rear its head. "Bandits roam most of the country roads, and the villages and towns are often plagued by thieves and worse."

Her step faltered slightly. If she could handle a world of hired guns and thieving grave robbers, she was positive she could handle herself against a few old-age bandits with bows and arrows. Not that she _wanted_ to throw herself in danger's path with a pretty red bow around her neck. She much rather avoid all that.

Sasuke was perplexed. "The chances of you encountering these threats are higher than average."

She glanced at him with a peeved frown, "And why is that?" What she really wanted to know was what his problem was. He was much more forceful than Naruto had been; then again, everything about the Lieutenant screamed he was a man in control.

He didn't answer her; Naruto didn't give him a chance to. "Because you don't wear a lot!"

In answer to her embarrassment, she turned away with a pretty blush she didn't know she possessed. Sasuke found himself to be staring when he spotted the colour. Her only outward reaction was anger, though it wasn't as threatening as she could usually manage; she felt flustered.

"I'll have you know this is normal where I come from, so don't look at me like some kind of-!"

"Where do you come from?" The blonde's eyes began to gleam strangely.

She'd gone and done it, and it seemed as though Naruto spotted and took glee in her slip up. The question posed too much excitement on Naruto's part. Had the brunette woman in Adel said something? She must have, there was no way such a simple question would cause someone (a soldier no less) so much glee.

Her eyebrows dipped together, and she glanced over at the patiently waiting blonde. Really, what were her options? Lie through her teeth? Tell them the truth?

Diversion, she finally decided when she turned and feigned a casual tone. "Fire country," she tried at first, almost giggling when she spotted the pout Naruto sent her way. She waved him off and continued, "I was born in a small village named Timber." It was the truth, yet it wasn't exactly the correct answer to his question. She was from Konoha; where she lived with her mother and aunt. Yet she was born during her mother's visit to Timber, a popular tourist village. If the two lived in the capital of this time, there was no explaining why they hadn't spotted her before or why she wore what she did.

Though Naruto accepted the answer, trying not to appear overly disappointed by the simplicity, something didn't fit in Sasuke's mind. Being the king's son, a fact he wasn't about to admit aloud due to the alarming reactions he received, he pretty much knew the lands he looked over. Everywhere from the small village of Adel to the mountainous region in the South; it was where he spent many years training during his adolescence.

"So, you coming or not?" Naruto asked when the final bout of men passed and continued on ahead, sending their group strange looks. She glanced over at the hundreds of soldiers, willing herself not to show any outward signs of discomfort, then nodded up at Naruto with a small thanks.

He held out his arm to her, gesturing her to hop aboard and relieving her of her uneasiness immediately. Her smile turned into a grin as she accepted the hand and hoisted herself up behind Naruto.

Only there was a problem. Maybe he hadn't helped someone upon the same horse before. She glanced down to the distance from the ground, where both legs hung awkwardly over the same side. She gripped the blonde's shoulder and lifted up, kicking her leg over the horse and scooting closer to Naruto, who tried to glance back at what she was doing.

She placed her hands on his shoulders and continued grinning at him, "Go!" She joked, pointing ahead to the group who had left them.

Naruto bellowed a wicked laugh and jabbed his feet into the sides of his horse, springing it to life. She screamed and gripped him around the waist, clinging desperately to his back as he propelled the sandy coloured horse forwards, passing the soldiers at the back of the group.

Sasuke blankly watched them run ahead and eased his horse to walk faster. He wasn't sure whether it was the way she sat atop a horse or the way she screamed and clung to Naruto's back which alarmed him; both pointed out her blatant disregard for being ladylike.

Her screams turned to laughter instantly. Gasping out at him to stop, she pulled on the cackling man's armour, successfully slowing the horse as though she were holding the reigns herself.

When they slowed to the men's pace, who were trying not to stare at the two whilst mumbling amongst themselves, a slightly slower horse trotted to their side almost cockily. Sakura glanced over at its jet black hair and smouldering onyx eyes for the first time.

"There's no such village," Sasuke said when he caught up, unable to help staring at her. Who taught her to ride a horse?

"It isn't very popular-," she began to explain, her charade feeling more forced when her eyes locked with his own darker pair. Could he see through it? It felt like he called her bluff on her every movement.

He cut her off instantly, repeating his words. "There's no such village."

Naruto sighed, almost exasperated and annoyed at his friend. "If she says it exists, then it does!" He stuck up for her, making her smile happily.

Sasuke didn't like it one bit, but he quietened and looked ahead, not one for arguing his point when he didn't need to convince others. Naruto could believe what he wanted; that didn't mean he'd change his mind.

"What's Timber like?" Naruto asked kindly.

"It's... magical," It was the only explanation she could think of. "It's hidden by trees, hence the name, so it's quite a popular tourist attraction. Plus all the houses are made from wood; they're all engraved with weird symbols. Not many people live there, though." The place was a national treasure; an outdoor museum, preserved by the few who lived within it. Her parents had been visiting the overseer, in hopes of translating a text they dug up.

Her father hadn't wanted her mother to go alone, who was eight months pregnant at the time, so he accompanied her as a self-proclaimed bodyguard. Sakura could only imagine her mother giggling and blushing at that one. She was a pile of goo whenever her old man was around.

She banished her thoughts on her father and concentrated on the road ahead.

* * *

Men were working all around her, leaving Sakura to feel very left out and very in debt to them. Naruto and Sasuke had allowed her to travel with them, insisting and arguing that she remain within the camp during the night (the first doing the insisting and the latter the arguing).

Every five minutes, she kept jumping up and offering a hand to the men, who seemed a mixture of surprised and indignant at her offer, to which they all refused. She guessed it was a pride thing. Women weren't much respected these days; she had to keep reminding herself.

In the distance, beyond the steadily erecting tents and slow burning campfires, her viridian eyes spotted a small group of men waiting at the camp's edge, listening to the words of Sasuke. They held their arm high, in front of their chest, while their posture remained straight and attentive. She snickered and headed for their group.

The Lieutenant seemed to have finished instructing the men when she approached, and he turned to her immediately with watchful eyes and baited breath.

"Sasuke, what's happening?"

He paused, not ignorant of the lack of respect in her greeting, then answered as simply as he could, "We're heading to the village for supplies."

We're? He was going with them? Somehow he seemed too important to bother accompanying them. It didn't seem like that thought has crossed his mind, or if it had, he didn't care. Behind him, the protruding eyes of Captain Julian watched her with confusion.

"Can I come with you?" She almost slapped her head at the question. She was asking permission? Way to let them walk all over her.

"No"

"Fine, I'll go alone," she snapped, walking past him into the pitch black openness separating them from the glowing village lights.

His mouth opened to protest, but shut just as quickly. Fine! She could go; he didn't care...

Why the hell offer her the protection of the camp if she was wondering off alone!?

_Stop it_, he scolded himself, taking a breath and cooling down. Irritating woman.

* * *

Now, being the Lieutenant's Captain definitely had its perks. The position itself spoke of authority, and men trembled in their boots at authority. His name was known among the soldiers, and his ruling hand was firm; better than that of those stinking Uchiha's. Not to mention the title Captain was a hit with the ladies.

He would have been third in line for the throne had their disgusting race not interfered in King Trion's legacy. Now he was reduced to the role of Captain, regardless of his capabilities to rule over the hundreds of men in front of him. Something that pathetic Uchiha brat couldn't dream of doing.

The ruling was often left to him; whether speaking to the men beneath him in general or the village representatives. The Lieutenant always stepped back and left it to him. He was useless; incapable.

The rank of Lieutenant was rightfully his; he'd earned it, damn it! It was the least those stinking half-humans owed him and his family, who were disgraced when the Uchiha's rose to power. But because of blood ties to the recent king, the brat had received the role immediately.

However, no matter how much effort he put into creating a certain trust between himself and the brat, it was always laid to waste. The youngest was, for the most part, unresponsive, unless the Uzumaki bastard or his brother were present. It seemed like they were the only ones who could successfully receive a full sentence from the youngest Prince.

Countless times he had attended to the Lieutenant's needs, without so much as a thank you in return. No; all the brat could manage was that same indifferent, uncaring stare, or a raised eyebrow (that one in particular made his blood boil). Their entire family regarded themselves so high above the rest. They disgusted him.

So it was quite unexpected when an unfamiliar, scantily dressed woman walked over so brazenly, without so much as a falter in her step when their eyes connected, and called him on a first name basis! It was unheard of! He'd known the nineteen year old soldier for one year now, without so much as a nod in acknowledgement. He hadn't even _seen _the girl before!

Sasuke... she'd called him Sasuke. Not _your highness _or _Prince _or _Lieutenant... _Hell, not even a simple _Sir_!

He remembered her now; the girl with the loose tongue from the village they'd just left. Of course she had to have been picked up at the village, seeing how they'd only been travelling a day and it was the only populated area besides the glowing village in the distance. How long had she been acquainted with the prince? Since before the village or during? He'd never seen her before the battle in his life, so it seemed only probable, by logic, that they met during or after the battle.

But logic also told him that Princes didn't allow that tone to be taken with them; especially Uchiha's.

He tried not to ground his teeth and clench his fists. He even answered her rude greeting and prying question! What was he doing wrong? What had this slip of a girl done what he couldn't begin to-!

His dull, grey eyes dropped to Sakura's legs when she fumed and walked away. Very thin and defined, they were; and very smooth.

But of course! Why else would a prince (or rather, an Uchiha) keep a female at hand? One who wore the bare minimum, yet revealed far more than was required of a lady. She was no lady. A prostitute, a creature of the night, a vixen! She had to be. It seemed only right that animals like the Uchiha's would want that kind of company close at hand.

But he hadn't seen either of the brothers with women before. Hell, he'd even seen the eldest turn away a certain, voluptuous little vixen with the reddest lips he'd ever encountered! At the time he'd wondered what man in his right mind would ignore the woman's beautiful physique! Then again, the lot of them weren't right.

It was wrong of him to assume the youngest was alike, in that sense.

Sasuke's nose began to twitch; the beginnings of a sneer that fool Uzumaki often laughed about. Did he simply befriend the irritating, amuse in the annoying and bed the untamed?

Julian scoffed; so like the animal he was.

The Lieutenant turned ever so slightly, his eyes drifting his way blankly; yet he saw something fiery behind that hardened stare; something which only firmed his suspicions that the youngest wasn't taking the risk in becoming cosy with his Captain.

Fine; let the mutt be disgusted in him! He'd rue the day he turned away _his _companionship!

**To Be Continued...**

**I'm really disappointed in how few reviews the story is receiving. Especially since it is on 21 alerts and 10 favourite lists so far. **

**Why aren't you guys reviewing? **

**V**


	6. The Undermined

**Authoress Note: **Thanks for the increase in reviews. It really means a lot to me.

Special thanks to my anonymous reviewers!

**Kelena93**

**Nanie**

**JD**

**Story Fact: **I was hoping to stretch this story out over 15-20 chapters. It may end up more, however. I might start lengthening my chapters... hmm...

**06 The Undermined**

_Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. _

_Strive on with diligence._

_**Buddha**_

Excitement welled within her as she gazed back in disbelief at the tall, young man who had spoken. His jaw was rugged, with the shadow of a stubble grazing over his squared chin and his hair swept back, like he'd been victim to outrageous winds. Still, he had a certain polite charm about him which she couldn't deny was mildly attractive.

He looked the closest thing this world (this time) had to a modern day movie star.

"Sure, follow me," he replied, making Sakura realise she had blurted out the need for a confirmation. He watched her follow alongside him, before looking back to where he trod once satisfied she was still with him.

She may have blushed back in the present, or even stumbled over her words, but she was thrilled to have finally found someone who knew of where to find another who could read. She might have asked Sasuke or Naruto (the first being more likely to know, seeing how he appeared to have had a good upbringing and was therefore educated) but she was suspicious that they were suspicious of her and she feared they knew of her little secret. And so they seemed to hold a paranoid relationship with one another for now, which was covered up with sly questions and general talk. Something she didn't particularly want to provoke.

And so, mildly attractive or not (more so to the likes of Ino she had to guess), he wasn't the cause of her happiness. Physically, at least.

She had asked for what seemed like hours about a person who could read the still ancient script, even in this time. Apparently she hadn't travelled far enough back to the past. She'd shown her piece of paper (parchment they'd murmured when they eyed it) to three folks now and all were baffled by the symbolism used.

So when Mr mildly attractive showed up and told her he knew who could read it, she was overjoyed. Perhaps she should have been suspicious; he _was _a stranger, and she hadn't asked him but rather relied on the fact he caught wind of her queries.

The house he stopped in front of was quaint; not quite the small hut back in Adel, yet nothing overly flashy. The village in general was tidier and friendlier; not quite as untrusting and quiet as the abysmal village they had left.

He knocked on the door then leant against the wall by the glass-less window.

When the door creaked open, Sakura's instincts took over and she smiled warmly at the thin old man, who was hunched over the handle and peering at her unsurely.

"Can I help you, young miss?" He asked between the gap of his door.

"I heard you can maybe help me. You see, I need a translator; one who can read ancient texts."

His eyes came to life passionately, and his door widened with interest as he looked down to the paper in her hands with interest. She'd been wringing the screwed up page nervously since he'd answered, her manners her top priority like she'd been taught. She held the sheet out to him, and with shaky fingers, his hands left the door, letting it swing open.

He scanned the paper with narrowed eyes, his interest in keeping his home private lost as he examined each lettering. Eventually, he looked up at her a little lost, down at her clothing, and then back up again.

But his eye caught the man standing by his window a fraction of a distance away. "Why are you here?" He seethed.

The man turned with wide, innocent eyes and stared aghast at the man. When he didn't answer, the old man took Sakura's hand and dragged her inside after him. He slowly approached his table, a slanted, circular one, made of old wood. He sat down in the similar chair and then gestured Sakura to take the other by his side.

She thought she'd heard him mumbling about troublemaking youths, but her interest was diminished when he spread the paper on the table. She leaned forward and pointed to certain symbols.

"Now I recognise these; blood, sacrifice, time; but the rest doesn't make any sense." She'd been to her fair share of tombs and dungeons before, and those words in particular seemed repetitive. You'd think they'd become a little more original in their threats to future folk.

"I'm impressed; young ones nowadays don't care for our ancestors."

The man began mumbling, and upon closer inspection, she found she didn't understand the language. Her smile widened at the fluent, tongue-twisting words he spoke. Where present time archaeologists may only read the symbols and translate their meaning, they didn't understand how to speak the words as those thousands of years ago could. Or hundreds, she corrected when she tuned into the specific phrases.

The historian within her fainted with glee.

"You speak it?"

The man lifted his eyes and seemed pleasantly surprised by the interest she held for the ancient language. "Of course I do. Should I teach you a few things?"

Sakura nodded her enthusiasm, and repeated after the man who followed the words on the paper. She burnt these precious, life-altering words in mind and memorised them soon after, impressing the old man.

Her eyebrows quickly furrowed once the lesson was over. "But what does it mean?"

He followed the script. "Though I may speak the language, my memory isn't what it used to be. I can barely make out talk of the purpose behind the protector of the Holy Lands; the Mother Guardian." Sakura nodded, having learnt as much about these lands and their guardian from her aunt. "_Only the valuable may pass through the connection of time," _he repeated in the language she'd been speaking. Sakura remembered the part halfway through the memorised speech she still couldn't understand. The spell broke when he shook his head. "The rest I can't understand at all."

Sakura's face began to turn pale. It didn't make any sense! How was she supposed to go home with this? Masking her disappointment behind a bright smile, she stood up and folded the 'parchment', shoving it into her bag.

"Thanks! You've been a great help!" It was true. Without him, she wouldn't even know the words, let alone the language (something which Tsunade was sure to be jealous of). Even if she didn't understand the connections (which was her own fault and not the old man's) she'd come away with much knowledge.

They parted with a quick goodbye and a wave.

"Now I know that guy isn't _that _interesting," a man joked from beside the door, startling Sakura who had involuntarily jumped.

When his words registered, she couldn't smile at the attempt of a joke. "He _is _interesting."

His hands raised to wave away the serious edge in her voice. "Ah, it was just a joke. You took a while, that's all."

It wasn't as if she was expecting him to still be there. What did he want?

"Thank you for helping me." She said a little stiffly, turning around and heading for the streets she'd taken to get here. He caught up quickly and laughed softly.

"You're welcome. Let me see you back."

Maybe she was being a little stiff; he really was kind and she was being mean. She wasn't used to this amount of male attention; back home she was just one of the guys with the other guards the universities hired. "Thanks, really, but it's alright. I remember the way back."

"The streets are dangerous this far into the night"

He had a point. Just like Sasuke had pointed out when they'd followed her along the road. The villages were dangerous, he'd warned her; something about thieves and worse. If walking beside him was keeping danger away, who was she to chase it away?

Absentmindedly, she turned after him, and followed him until he stopped dead in his tracks and caused her to stumble to a stop beside him. She would have kept going if he hadn't reached out and snatched her arm. When her eyes focused to what was in front of her, she felt her stomach flip. A dead end.

It took only a moment to understand the meaning of it when she glanced back at the movie-star stranger, whose lips twitched upright into an anticipating smile. He flung her around and shoved her hard against the wall, knocking the wind from her.

She gasped for breath and watched him lean forward, hungrily attacking her neck like a starving animal. Sloppy, firm kisses and wet trails were left behind on her skin, which felt like it had begun to crawl.

Then, her senses snapped back into focus. Hearing about sexual attacks and planning ahead in time what nasty things she'd do to the man in that situation were one thing; experiencing it so suddenly, after the man appeared generally helpful, was another and it had momentarily threw her; enough to forcefully rid one of her shoulders of its straps and contaminate her neck with his filth.

Her teeth clenched almost painfully, and her hand reached out and snatched his reasonably long hair in a tight grip. She pulled and pulled, lifting him off and away from her with a strength his unsuspecting eyes didn't expect.

His hands rose from where they'd been fondling her hips and roaming lower, and he made to restrain her, gripping her arms painfully. Her leg lifted on instinct and connected with his stomach, earning her a wheezed out curse. Then, without thinking, she tugged his head down into her lifted knee with a slam, and sent him onto his back.

She wasted no time in running from the scene.

* * *

Naruto was growing worried.

Perhaps inviting her along was a bad idea after all. Ever since she'd left he'd been worried, but he hadn't been able to follow. Naruto commanded the patrols, and guards were needed throughout the night should an enemy make use of their weakened guard. It would be an easy way to deal a Mayor blow to Konoha's forces and at the same time would weaken the entire country.

If they hadn't invited her, Sasuke had the sneaking suspicion the blonde would be even more concerned, wondering if she'd set up shelter for the night or if she'd been gobbled up (he had sent a pointed glance at Sasuke mentioning this, like he might shift at any second and head back for a snack).

Sasuke hadn't been too worried. Even after he returned with supplies, briefly wondering why he hadn't spotted her (even from afar) at the village. It was larger than Adel, yet not big enough for one to not cross paths.

What had she gone to the village for anyway? She hadn't mentioned, so he assumed she was just being nosy. He'd actually, for a moment, believed she may be a Mist enemy. A mole sent to get close and record routines or weaknesses. The thought had been dismissed, however. That was too impractical. Mist was higher strung than Konoha when it came to women doing the dirty jobs. They'd never allow that one.

Then, the night just seemed to continue, and there was no sign of her anywhere. He began to feel guilty (imagine!) that he had refused her to come. Even if he had declined a request she didn't need permission for. At least, in sticking by him, Naruto's mind would have been at ease. Plus he'd have dragged her back when they were finished.

Naruto began to get louder, wanting to leave in search of the pink-haired girl, who Sasuke had to remind him was free to leave them at any second. That only made him depressed, however, so Sasuke gave up.

Naruto had befriended her too easily. He was a fool. But Sasuke couldn't deny he was also beginning to panic. Had he sent her to her death? He had warned her about the people roaming the village!

If it had been anyone else (anyone else who hadn't tried to save a twenty foot god, rescue a village leader and battle a Mist captain) he wouldn't have given a shit. Her actions alone made him care what happened to her. She was strange, different; and he couldn't figure her out!

He looked away from Naruto, who was resorting to name calling. He wished he hadn't told the blue-eyed patrol officer he'd refused to let her go with him. In the distance, his eyes focused on the very cause of Naruto's worry, and with a scowl he stood up.

* * *

The distance of the plains was cut in two with her frantic running. When she reached the two men guarding the settled, who surprisingly nodded and beckoned her through, she looked down to her hands and realised how bad the attack had left her. She was shaking pretty badly.

Conscious of the attention she was drawing to herself by standing still, she began to walk through the men. There were several large fires dotted in between a massive amount of tents, and many men gathered around each one, drinking joyfully and laughing. Some sang and gripped shoulders in an attempt to dance while joined, but failed badly.

When she realised she had nowhere to go, she stopped abruptly and headed between two large yellow tents, sitting down on the cold ground, desolate from any warm fire and friendly company.

She clenched her knees together out in front of her, and inspected her shaking hands. She'd been naive to think she could handle any situation; any attack. She'd been an idiot to get ahead of herself and imagine doing horrible things to those sorts of people.

She'd lived her life away from school, and the effects of teenage adolescence, attraction, love. Now, it seemed, she was paying the price. She'd never been touched like that before. It scared her. It froze her up.

With a sickening start, she realised she'd acquired herself a weakness. A broken, sardonic laugh left her at the very thought.

Footsteps quickly approached her, and she lowered the hand which had run shakily through her hair to stare at the approaching male. There was a silence between them.

Sasuke looked down at the hunched up girl, staring wide-eyed in his direction. She seemed stunned. A little shaken. Then, upon further inspection, he took note of her violent tremors. What had happened?

Finding her voice, Sakura lowered the hand from her hair and stared at him, forcing herself to calm down and appear rational. "What do you want?"

Perhaps it wasn't the tone to take with a Lieutenant; a man clearly used to getting what he wants; but she wouldn't realise this until much later into the night.

He was about to reply to her weakened voice, but when her fist unclenched itself from her hair and her arm lowered; his eyes were drawn to the torn material hanging down by her arm. He didn't speak; a millions things were running through his mind, all of which left an unsettled feeling in his stomach.

Her eyes followed his, and when she looked down and caught the ripped strap of her vest, which now dangled and exposed the black bra beneath it, she glared in disgust at the traitor. She glanced back up at his silence with impatience.

"What happened?" He demanded, watching her push herself to her knees and throw the small beige bag to the floor in front of her.

"Nothing"

Her hands dove inside, and she dragged out the clothes she possessed. Sasuke took an impatient step forward, momentarily inspecting the odd things she carried, which had fell from the bag across the dirt. They didn't hold his interest long before he began searching the quiet turmoil on her face.

"Don't give me nothing," he snapped, taking in the sight of her upon closer inspection. Her neck was beginning to appear red, and the distinctive markings of fingernails were scratched down the length of one side. Like she'd tried to claw something off. Only what?

"Fine, I'll rephrase. Nothing I couldn't handle," she shot back at him.

Both of her hands lowered to the edge of her vest, and in one swift move, she pulled it over her head and discarded it to the floor. She grabbed another and began untangling it to decipher where the arms were, oblivious to what she had done and the repercussions of her actions.

Sasuke almost spluttered, but managed to contain himself and glare at the yellow fabric of the tent beside him. In the darkness, beyond the reach of the campfires, the colour seemed almost grey, yet the sure glow of the burning not too far away cast shadows across the material. What the _hell_ was she doing?! What kind of woman was she? Did she not care? More importantly, what the hell was the black... thing!?

When he looked back, he found her decent (or as decent as she seemed to get). Her new choice of clothing had sleeves this time, no matter how short, only the neckline was plunged. He wasn't sure whether he should continue burning holes through the tent.

She shoved the dirty, torn vest into a side pouch then flung it over her back once more. She stood and began walking past him.

Irritably, he followed her past the nearby fire, which was beginning to climb higher and higher into the sky. It didn't seem like she knew where she was going; but rather, she was just walking for the hell of it. Maybe she was trying to escape from him. A sneaky, half glance was sent back over her shoulder. Definitely the latter.

"I warned you about the village," he spoke assuredly when he made it to her side. Her pace quickened, and she swiftly ignored him. She really _wasn't _in the mood to play I-told-you-so with him.

"Hey, Sakura!"

She turned to the voice and smiled in relief when she spotted Naruto waving her over to a smaller campfire. Blessed, oblivious Naruto. A quick head count told her only ten men sat around this one in particular. The others seemed crowded in comparison.

She took a seat beside him, her periphery vision picking up on Sasuke moving to sit a few persons away from her. She didn't mind, he could sulk in the corner while she ignored him all night. It alarmed her just how normal and uncaring she was behaving with a man from the past, but she forced herself to push the thought away.

"What took you so long?"

She smiled apologetically, "Sorry, I got caught up in the village." Dark eyes began to burn a hole in her head. She sent him a quick glimpse but turned away quickly, stubbornly.

The Captain turned her way, eyeing the woman he'd seen once or twice throughout the day, strolling alongside the soldiers. He found himself seated beside the pink-haired woman when she appeared, and so he turned a watchful eye on her and didn't miss the momentary glance between them. His Lieutenant didn't seem too pleased with her at the moment.

Perfect.

* * *

When the supply carts she hadn't even noticed were being loaded up the next morning, Sakura found herself sitting among the bags of rice and the few wounded soldiers. The two chocolate horses out front trotted along without complaint against their heavy load. They managed to keep up with the soldiers effortlessly.

"Sakura? That's an unusual name"

She nodded absentmindedly, staring out at the gravelled road ahead, then realised the man she spoke to had a serious head injury, and his eyes had been covered with bandages.

She spoke up quickly to cover herself, "Yeah, I suppose it is."

It was an unusual name in this time. She could hardly say she found everyone's names odd, unless she'd read them in a history book. That wasn't for this soldier to know.

"It is very pretty, however," he amended himself, as though thinking she took offence. He couldn't very well see any reaction she made, after all. She simply laughed in response; how sweet of him.

A yawn escaped her, and she raised a hand to her mouth. The previous night was a tiresome one. She half expected to wake up and find herself back home in her bed, with her mother knocking gently on the door. She almost cried when she found the same tent and the same snores from Naruto. She wasn't home; she was still lost in time.

It had surprised her to find she'd been awake for more than thirty six hours; the last good sleep she'd had was in her own bed back home. It didn't make much difference; she'd spent days awake during excavations when Tsunade was getting closer to 'hitting the jackpot'; though she often stole cat naps when her aunt wasn't looking.

A light grey horse approached slowly and began walking alongside the cart. With a barely repressed grimace, Sakura noticed Captain Julian sitting atop, smiling over rather royally. She sent a rather strained one in return.

"How are you holding up?" His obnoxious voice called over.

Sakura closed her eyes, so she wouldn't have to watch his attempts at appearing charming. She bent her knees and rested her arms over each. "Shouldn't you be asking the men who're walking?"

The clogs and wheels in his head turned (she could practically hear them) before he tried again. "They are used to these long distances. A young lady like you, however, must find all this travelling tiresome."

She fought the urge to point out that she was sitting in a cart idly. "Not really." She spent most of her life travelling around with her Aunt. Not that he needed to know. Besides, his attempts were quite amusing; and she'd be a liar if she denied taking extreme pleasure from knocking people off their pedestal. On the outside, she was nothing but pleasant.

As he'd found out the previous night, the woman was, in her own way, very passionate and very friendly; a gem in comparison to the Uchiha race. Why had she chosen Sasuke, of all creatures? She answered all the questions the men asked politely, with an unfaltering smile. Even his own, though he sensed her discomfort when he closed the distance between them subtly. Unlike the Lieutenant, she had respect.

Perhaps he'd been wrong in assuming she was the Uchiha's bedside whore.

"Come," he patted the backside of the horse he rode on, "Sit by me. We'll head further up."

Sakura glanced back at him uncomfortably.

"No thanks"

For a startled moment, he simply looked at her. She refused to ride with him? She should be honoured! He puffed out his chest and edged the horse closer, "Do you not know who I am?" When she didn't answer, or acknowledge he was addressing her, he continued with an angry, red face. "I am the Captain of Konoha's finest army; descendant of the last Saionji King!"

She felt like shrinking back into the side of the cart; perhaps she had pushed him too far? The fact that she travelled with these men made her hesitant to speak her mind and so her thoughts were kept tightly inside her own head. She didn't like feeling so trapped.

But on another note, reason began to speak to her while he yelled his displeasure. She didn't have to take his crap! Travelling with them was beneficial, but she could manage fine by herself, no matter how much the previous night had shaken her. If it weren't for Sasuke and Naruto's convincing, she wouldn't even be there.

Glancing around her, she noticed the surrounding men had silenced, and were watching them not so discreetly. Some sneered and smirked, while others seemed a little piteous for the poor soul on the other end of the Captain's anger.

The looks were familiar. She'd experienced the same when the other hired muscles on excavations riled her up and put her down. They watch her, waiting for tears or some sign of weakness. Waiting for her downfall. Some dormant, hell-bent part of her broke free.

She snapped, "I'm not part of your army, so you are not _my _Captain!"

His horse began to tug and pull at its reigns, distressed by the shouting and peculiar atmosphere. When it was under control once more, a sour faced Captain set his hateful eyes upon her.

"Big words for a woman who sells her soul to the highest bidder!"

Sakura snapped. She pushed to her feet, crossed the distance of the cart in two strides, and kicked herself from the cart. Her hands managed to grab fistfuls of his shirt as she went down, and she pushed him to the ground, landing harshly on top of him. The men all around took a startled step away from the disturbance, and the horses controlling the cart began to get panicky and forced themselves to stop.

It all became a blur to her however, and when the anger and stunned surprise began to gleam in his faded eyes, she punched him in the mouth.

"What did you call me!?"

His horse neighed loudly, galloping a small distance away from the scene, where a wide-eyed soldier grabbed it, unable to tear his eyes from the scene. She raised the Captain's head by the fabric around his neck and shook him madly.

Her mind didn't register her name being yelled, but seconds later, she was hoisted up and away from the Captain, who was frozen to the ground in disbelief. The arms around her restrained her attempts to lash out at the captain who raised himself from the ground and wiped his abused cheek in shock.

"Sakura! Calm down!" Naruto's panicked voice said from behind her. Her chest heaved up and down but she forced herself to stop, somewhat stiffly. Her eyes never left the Captain's.

"Y-You!" He stuttered, pointing wildly at her, "Insolent girl!"

"Disgusting man!" she shot back without pause, wounding his pride enough to set him in motion. He headed for her, but was stopped by a firm hand on his chest and a chorus of 'oh's from the crowd.

"That's enough," Sasuke interrupted firmly, pushing the captain back in the direction of his horse. "I'll have you not provoke or order anyone under my charge again."

Severely red faced, the Captain glared hatred at his Lieutenant before charging towards his horse and snatching the reigns from the awaiting soldier. When he mounted and left, straight down the centre of the soldiers, Sasuke turned towards them.

Slowly, as if untrusting her, Naruto's grip fell away and he stepped to her side, judging her enraged demeanour. She ignored him then turned and began walking, needing to cool herself off away from the injured men, who were peering over the side of the cart at her.

They followed after her slowly, their horses following behind them loyally. When she couldn't take the silence anymore, her awkwardness forced her into blurting out something, _anything _to explain herself; only the words that fell from her lips weren't what she intended.

"He had it coming!"

Naruto burst out laughing, snatching her shoulders and rubbing her head affectionately. She tried to remain stony faced and angry, but a grin blossomed on her face and she joined in with several chuckling soldiers, who started to make up titles for the little hellion of a woman in their care.

She glanced over at Sasuke, the leader of the entire force surrounding her. He felt her eyes on him; unable to help himself, he sent her a quick, barely noticeable smirk which set her insides a flutter. She smiled in return, and promptly forgot about the previous night's events and her anger at the nosy Lieutenant.

**To Be Continued...**

**Your views count!**

**V**


	7. The Unreal

**Authoress Note: **Thanks for the reviews. It's hilarious how much everyone got riled up and excited at Sakura "kicking ass"

**Story Fact: **In the last chapter, (I'm unsure if you realised it or not) the man who cornered her in town **was not **Julian. He was a stranger; I've reedited bits to make this more obvious.

**07 The Unreal**

_I hear they're getting closer, _

_Their howls are sending chills down my spine__  
__**Within Temptation**_

Haruno Sakura was pleasantly surprised to find she managed quite well at the soldier's pace.

They had left the comforts of the pebbled road travellers were advised to stick to, and travelled through the grassy plains, which tickled her bare legs. In the distance, the shadows of mountains and curves of hills were barely visible through the rising mist, which was flowing through the grass and spreading out towards them. The hot, sunny day was beginning to cool, and the awkward setting of the sun created eerie patterns through the thickening fog. Night fell over them quickly.

The men began to glance around unsurely, looking through the smoke-like blanket for signs of bogeymen and creatures alike. She was glad she wasn't the only one unsettled.

Rising to her tip toes, she peered ahead, hoping to find the silhouette of Sasuke and Naruto, who had moved on ahead to lead the men in the right direction across the derelict plains.

Their pace slowed to an unsure stop, and the men around her began to glance towards one another silently. It was unnerving; no one spoke. Behind her, the bustle of soldiers following were also looking all around the entrapment.

When no one moved, she walked ahead firmly, heading out to the front to see what the holdup was. The mist was beginning to rise to her knees and above the grass. Where had it come from all of a sudden?

Then, piercing the silence and echoing for all the men to hear was the firm command from Sasuke. "Get down!" He shouted.

Men everywhere ducked to their knees and covered their heads; Sakura included. She wouldn't have believed it possible that the silent Lieutenant was able to yell so loudly.

She raised her head in confusion, hearing piercing howls surrounding them. Then, from above the mist, thick-furred black creatures leapt up high and pounced down on the few unfortunate men who had remained standing in confusion.

Unintelligible shouts began to chorus around her, followed by screams and more howls. She stood up and looked around, devastated to find shaggy, black wolves attacking the men with throaty growls.

The cart beside her rocked and splintering wood could be heard from the other side. The wounded men within began shouting and questioning the disturbance, so Sakura ran closer and hoped on board.

When she spotted the men, who clung to the side of the quaking cart and looked all around them, she leaned in and took the sword, which had been discarded for the journey.

"I'm borrowing this!" Was all she said before jumping back off the cart and rounding the corner.

The two wolves, which had been tearing into the side to reach the injured, paused and looked over at her, narrowing their inky-black eyes and snarling.

She ran at the first, gripped the side of the cart and swung both feet into its side. With a whiney yelp, it left the ground and skidded into the distance. The second ran at her, baring its spiky teeth threateningly. A small whimper left her throat, and she turned around, running back to the centre of the chaos.

The wolf followed her somewhat clumsily, slamming into the side of the cart as it turned the corner and leaping after her slower pace. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing the creature jump for her, and swung around the sword, which connected with its side and sent it to the ground. She dug deeper, until she was sure the wolf had taken its last breath, then retrieved her blade and looked around.

She half expected to see Naruto when she turned towards the sound of pounding hooves against the earth. They drew her towards the Lieutenant, who was headed her was quickly. She took an unsure step back; he was going too fast!

When she moved to one side, his hand stuck out for her to grab. She almost cursed herself when she took it on instinct and allowed him to hoist her on the back to safety. It seemed all too effortless and quick; so much so it stole the breath from her. She threw her hand around his waist tightly as he continued in his frantic pace.

"S-Sasuke!"

He couldn't believe he was forced to look after her. Naruto kept shouting over at him, warning him Sakura was alone and without protection. But Naruto's form was quickly swallowed by the wolves which surrounded him. His jeering yells as he sliced through the mutts was enough reassurance that he'd be more than fine, so he turned back and headed after Sakura.

Somehow, she'd come to acquire a sword. He watched it out the corner of his eye, clutched tightly in the hand which wasn't holding onto him for dear life. Did she even know how to use it?

He needed to find the mother. These were nothing but babies; hungry and willing to attack anything in sight without thought. Their mother was surely watching nearby, unaware _he _was amongst the men. If they didn't leave fast he'd decapitate the bitch!

"What the hell is that?!" Sakura exclaimed, pointing her sword beyond the mist to where a large shadow with watchful eyes stared at them.

Sasuke steered the horse towards the narrowing black eyes.

He ignored her tugging at his chest in silent protest and headed straight, breaking through the mist and yanking the reigns to pull the horse to a stop. It protested and lifted its hooves, but eventually submitted and stayed still in front of the threatening, gigantic wolf.

It had been lying down; quite content to watch its children wreak havoc among the man folk. Its front two paws uncrossed and pushed to stand at an intimidating height when the fleeing humans entered its domain.

Sakura stared up in awe at the creature. She might have believed it to be the one responsible for throwing her in the lake, but its eyes were a simple shade of black instead of the bloody shade of red. Also, its ten-feet of height was somewhat less threatening than the twenty feet she had seen back by the lake. Still, it remained menacing in its own right.

He glared up at the stance it took with him. The muscles surrounding his eyes began to tingle with the beginnings of a shift. It stung, but the surroundings became clearer and more defined than that of a humans.

The wolf in front of him growled, but quickly paused, looking deep into the black eyes, which were drastically bleeding into a deep shade of red. The human's face was also shifting and darkening. It realised its mistake soon after, curling its huge tail beneath its legs and releasing a whimpered cry. Sakura cringed into Sasuke's back at the sound, but looked up immediately after it stopped to see the beast turn tail and run.

What had happened? Why did it leave?

Sasuke steered the horse around and began a gentler trot back towards the men. The wolves around them seemed to have fled just as quickly as the mother and the fallen soldiers were being lifted by friends.

"What happened?" Sakura asked Sasuke, who was focused up ahead. "What did you do?"

"Nothing"

* * *

They reached the forest they were to travel through soon after the incident, and continued walking until they were satisfied they were deep enough to use the trees as cover. Sasuke hadn't answered her questions, but had continued leading the way alongside Naruto, who was quite happy to talk about anything that popped to mind. Strangely enough, not even he answered her questions. He kept shooting Sasuke subtle glances.

The Lieutenant also didn't slow to let her off, so she just stayed put until he told her otherwise. It was supposed to annoy the hell out of him, but he didn't seem to care.

When they settled among the trees for the night, Sakura soon fell asleep with no complaint.

"Just tell her," Naruto complained, rubbing his wild, spiky blonde hair in aggravation.

Hell no, was Sasuke's first thought. He glanced over at the lightly dozing girl and sighed. There seemed to be a lot he was keeping from her (not that she was divulging any of her own secrets). She still didn't seem to be clued in about his royal blood either, even when one of the soldiers addressed him as such. She seemed oblivious; maybe she hadn't been listening.

What would her reaction be if she found out he was the very 'mutt' (or so she had said) who threw her in a freezing lake? Or picked her up twenty feet into the air by his nose, no less? He couldn't imagine the response to be very kind.

His mind replayed the image of her launching at Captain Julian (ranking one of the five best moments in his life). He chuckled.

"Eh?"

Then stopped.

"You laughed!" Naruto announced loudly, stirring the viridian eyed traveller.

"No I didn't"

"You did, I saw it!"

"You're seeing things"

Naruto crossed his arms huffily and watched him with unblinking eyes, like he might do it again. Sasuke smiled, unable to help himself; a rare sight in Naruto's victorious, blue eyes.

"Hah! That proves it!"

It was his turn to ignore the blonde as he looked off after Julian, who was nestled against the tree, his arms crossed like Naruto's. It didn't take a genius to work out who he was glaring at while they slept. His cheek was now blossoming a very red glow, which would no doubt bruise the next day.

Attacked by a girl; he'd surely be the laughing stock of the soldiers. The thought tickled Sasuke.

More so than not wanting her to launch herself at him, he enjoyed feeling a shred of normalcy from the girl's ignorance. No _sir's, Lieutenant's, Highness's. _Just Sasuke. Plain, old Sasuke. Or mutt, referring to his other countenance. It felt good; though the latter was insulting and not to be stood for.

"I don't see what the problem is. The sooner you tell her the better."

"Naruto, she's only with us for one more day. We part ways at Konoha."

Naruto scrunched his nose up. "So you don't plan on telling her at all."

"She doesn't need to know." She was no one important, his thoughts added, though didn't dare voice the opinion to Naruto, who took quite a shine to Sakura.

His friend was silent after that, and he briefly wondered if he had upset the blonde. When he peered over, however, he found him snoring lightly, tucked into the tree as though it were a fluffy blanket.

Sasuke shook his head and turned away.

* * *

Konoha looked... beautiful.

They'd made it out of the woods without fault, and the rest of the day passed by quite normally. It seemed like every day she spent in the past was some kind of adventure, so she wasn't sure whether she was disappointed or just surprised the day thus far had been normal. Well, as normal as a fifteenth century day could get.

When they passed the city's outer walls, which barely disguised the grand buildings beyond it, she was greeted with the sight of bustling villages running to and fro, swapping goods and trading others. A baker woman smiled brightly, holding her basket of freshly baked bread high for their inspection. There was another further down the road, with armfuls of flowers. The men eagerly approached and bought them all, waving at the pretty young girl and then talking animatedly about her when she left.

Sakura smiled and looked to the sturdy white houses and stores. They passed a tall church with a small flower bed outside its glorious windows. Many people were only just leaving, and when they spotted the soldiers, they came closer and joined the throngs or crowded people, waving and welcoming them home.

Husbands ran to wives, sons to mothers and brothers to sisters, enveloping them in hugs and grinning madly. Gradually, the armour-clad men left the group and headed for their families, leaving Sakura to eye the remaining men who searched for their own.

What was she to do now? Why was she still walking?

She stopped and glanced ahead to Naruto who was waving to everyone he passed beside a nonplussed Sasuke. Julian followed closely out f duty, though Sakura assumed he didn't like remaining there. She got the feeling he had been quite the kiss ass before the incident alongside the cart.

Sighing to herself, she glanced around the people who began to disappear to either follow the soldiers or carry on with their daily duties. She felt strangely alone.

Was her mother missing her? Had Tsunade told her some lie to calm her or save her own ass? Did her aunt even know what happened? For all they knew, she was swallowed by the giant wolf.

What if she couldn't get home? The thought was unsettling, so she pushed it to the back of her mind and headed towards the nearest store. Before entering, she gazed up at the swinging sign above her head; it was a tavern.

She walked through the open doorway and glanced around early starters. There were many men with bushy beards and pewter tankards all sat around the circular tables laughing voraciously. When she entered, some of them quietened and stared her up and down with large grins. She ignored them and headed towards the man behind the bar.

He sent her a suspicious look while he cleaned off the tankard he held with a dirty dishcloth. He was a tall man, with a dirty apron tied around his front. A slight stubble grazed his chin and watchful brown eyes regarded her carefully. She imagined for all he'd seen everything thanks to his job, he wouldn't have spotted someone quite like her.

"Can I help you miss?"

"I'm looking for a translator; someone who can read the ancient language. Do you happen to know where I can find one?"

The man leant back, startled, and looked around to his regular customers, who snickered and shared a look with one another. Sakura followed his gaze, causing the men to quieten and watch her, and then looked back at the man who seemed confused.

"Listen miss," he began with an uncomfortable roll of his shoulder, "We've had many a people wanting the same thing. Don't go messing with the ancient arts. There's nothing but trouble there."

Sakura frowned, "Ancient arts? I'm not messing with anything. I need to find a translator so I can go back home. Please?"

He seemed a little stricken at that, and his eyes swept the room once more, hoping for some sort of sign from the other patrons who did nothing to clue him in. A large woman in a tight dress rounded the corner and propped her hands on her hips with a stern expression. Her tight ginger curls were hooked on the back of her head, were a ruffled looking maids cap sat. She looked Sakura up and down and shook her head in disapproval.

"We'll not be getting involved in anything ancient in here. Ask somewhere else. Go on, shoo!" She waved her hands to chase Sakura away, who turned around and left, muttering a few choice curses under her breath.

* * *

Glancing back over his shoulder, he found himself pausing.

How would he explain this one to Naruto?

He turned back around and sent his blonde friend an uneasy glance, then turned back to the road, hoping he wouldn't notice for a while.

Even without Naruto's constant whining or wish to go back and look for the missing traveller, there was no silence. His own thoughts filled the gaps. Had she left willingly? Maybe she felt awkward or realised their journey together had finally come to an end. He had known it was temporary, as had Naruto...

Who was looking behind him with a frown as they ascended the hill leading up to the heightened castle resting on the mountain behind's edge.

"Hey Sasuke" Great, said Lieutenant thought. "Did you see Sakura leave? She isn't back there."

"She has no reason to come with us now"

Perhaps his response was a little cold? Naruto immediately turned away with an understanding nod, all the smiles and waves he had been sending to the crowd were lost and he became a little too silent for Sasuke's liking.

"Konoha's a big place," he continued on, not sure how this was supposed to help the blonde. Didn't it only cheer them up if the town was a little place? Maybe that last one hadn't been too reassuring.

"Uh, there'll be some kind of welcoming party at the castle. Maybe you'll see her there?"

The chances were unlikely. The invite was only ever accepted by the soldiers and the family. Whatever business she had in Konoha was her top priority ad her attendance at the party was highly unlikely. Naruto, who most likely knew this, chuckled and patted him on the back. "Thanks Sasuke"

The large, wooden gates opened big enough for the three of them to fit inside the courtyard. They were surrounded quite quickly with stable boys and advisors, who quickly informed them of the past few days' events in a quick report. Not much to think on.

A familiar person walked over somewhat lazily and greeted them with a nod. "You didn't miss much," was his own, half-assed variation of the report. The other advisors gave him a scathing look before scurrying off.

They dismounted their horses, handing the reigns over to the wannabe soldiers. The young teenagers took them away dutifully, petting the horses affectionately.

"Did you find him?" Shikamaru asked when he headed for the large entryway to the castle. Sasuke shook his head but said nothing specific.

"Your brother hasn't returned yet"

If there was one thing Sasuke liked about Nara Shikamaru, it was his direct, to-the-point explanations. There was no fooling around when it came to the castle's genius. No beating around the bush, so to speak.

While the other advisors filled him in with the recent trading decisions his father made, Shikamaru told him of the important things he actually cared about.

He accompanied them as they walked through the open entrance of the castle and then through an ajar double door. The sight of the castle, of home, easily helped him relax. They walked along the royal red carpet, up the few steps leading to the throne room. When they pushed open the doors, Sasuke's eyes were drawn to the tall chairs atop the wide, red steps.

The man sitting in the tallest looked over and smiled softly. It would have been missed on anyone else; but being the man's son meant Sasuke knew him best, alongside his family.

"Sasuke," his father greeted when his son made his way to the steps and saluted him.

"Father"

"Give me your report"

By his side, Naruto and Julian bowed respectfully to one knee with their heads lowered. The Lieutenant could practically hear the grating of his Captain's teeth.

"My men made it to the village by nightfall three days ago where they fought with ease. The enemy was confirmed as Mist, led by a Court Captain. The Mayor of the village is dead, and control has passed on to his only remaining child. The townsfolk were unharmed, yet the village was destroyed when the troops became frantic. Construction for a new village further from the border is necessary, as are defences in the area."

"New village; they've named it?"

Sasuke nodded, a wry smile upon his lips, "After the town's hero, Cardel."

Uchiha Fugaku nodded, his brow line creasing in thought as he contemplated the village's situation. "Nara; gather the Court advisors and have them prepare for the construction of Cardel." Almost reluctantly, he added, "Find my wife too."

Sasuke smirked to himself. He recognised that hesitation and grimace all too well. They'd no doubt been arguing over something insignificant again; it was clear his mother won. Like usual.

"Captain?" Julian lifted and saluted the King, "Find Hyuuga and have him organise defences within the area."

Julian spoke up, "Your Majesty, I'm also capable of organising the-!"

"Captain; you've been journeying and battling for a week; rest and let Hyuuga prepare the plans; he hasn't been able to sit still since your division left."

"Sir!"

Sasuke mind began to wonder why Hyuuga Neji wasn't sent alongside him instead of Julian. He preferred the Hyuuga more so than Captain pompous beside him as did the men. Why he still remained a Captain was beyond him. Scratch that; why he needed a second Captain was beyond him. Neji fit the role perfectly, and if he had to choose a second, he didn't need pause to know Naruto would get the job. He was ten times the man Julian could ever hope to be; both in battle and in morale.

Shikamaru and Julian left quickly, leaving Sasuke with the comforts of his father and best friend. Searching the room to find it surprisingly void of any troublesome maids, advisors, guards and others alike, Sasuke relaxed and stared up at his old man.

"Did you find Kiba?"

Sasuke shook his head solemnly, like he had done with Shikamaru. The scout had gone missing when he failed to report back the situation of the village one week ago.

"Is something troubling you?" Fugaku asked after his son looked up sternly.

"The men at the village were seriously outnumbered by my own. Mist effectively sent those men to their deaths and with no apparent purpose."

The King's response was immediate. "I wouldn't say we didn't suffer any damages. That village was destroyed and Mist successfully widened their borders for a week; which is a feat enough to forge alliances with willing countries that need impressing."

Sasuke nodded in agreement; but the whole thing didn't sit well with him. He continued relaying his report to his father, skipping over the unimportant details and relaying the attack the previous night. Fugaku smiled a little more at this; finding great interest in the wolf attack.

But Sasuke was interrupted just as he was explaining how he defused the situation. "Sakura?"

He paused and looked up to his father with confusion. "What?"

"You said Sakura spotted the mother and that you 'acquired' her"

Naruto grinned beside him, eager for the chance to tell the King all about his new friend. He didn't feel like adding in the fact he'd probably never see her again. It would no doubt dampen his spirits.

"She's a time traveller from the future!" Naruto exclaimed before Sasuke could stop him. "She rescued the village ruler and organised the villagers so they wouldn't get hurt during the battle! Then we found her along the road and suggested she head for Konoha, since she wasn't sure where to go. But she left a little while ago."

Fugaku nodded slowly, not able to completely understand the woman or why she was there, but agreeing to Naruto's rant nonetheless. He glanced back at his son, who was sulking again.

"Time traveller?"

Sasuke's mouth opened. "Yeah, she's from the future!" Then closed again. "She was looking for Cardel when she was in Adel! It didn't even exist until after the attack! How cool is that? She says weird stuff too and dresses oddly! The prophet _told_ Sasuke this, but since he's so frigid-!"

"Naruto," Fugaku and his son chorused with a sigh.

"Y-Yes your Majesty?" He blurted, saluting once more when he realised he'd been talking the King's ear off again. Fugaku chuckled, much to the displeasure of his 'frigid' son.

"A time traveller?" The King asked, pouring all his disbelief into the simple question.

Naruto's chin wrinkled with the beginnings of a pout. "She really is! The Prophet said so herself! But every time we tried to find out more, she'd talk about something else."

"A prophet told you?" Sasuke was most displeased when he found out how interested his father had become with prophets. Unreliable, Sasuke thought them to be, yet his father was enamoured. There were two lurking around the castle somewhere, always whispering and helping the King. What annoyed him even more was how they'd never been wrong.

Then, the dreaded words left his mouth. "I'd very much like to meet this friend of yours, Uzumaki."

Naruto's blue eyes sparkled brilliantly, and a grin broke out on his face. "I'll find her straight away!"

He turned and raced from the room, as though the King's statement had been an order, and the two Uchiha's could do nothing but watch. Now that he'd been given the excuse to look for her, Naruto was as good as gone until he found the so called time traveller.

"Did she say where she was from?" Fugaku asked when Naruto finally left, rubbing the bridge between his nose as was expected after a visit from Naruto.

"Fire Country; she was born in a town called Timber."

"Timber?"

Sasuke nodded, and the two shared a look which they both understood. No such town, village or settlement existed. They knew the lands they ruled over quite well. Nothing escaped their knowledge.

"You don't believe the prophet do you?"

"Don't presume to know everything or disbelieve in what isn't understood, Sasuke."

Exasperated, Sasuke took a step forward. "Even for a prophet, time travel is a little too far."

Fugaku laughed and stood up, descending the stares and placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "When was the last time we shifted? I'll bet you've grown since I last seen you."

Effectively distracted, Sasuke smirked and headed out the door after his father, eager to prove him right.

**To Be Continued...**

**A review a day keeps my therapist away LOL**

**V**


	8. The Undeniable

**Authoress Note: **Well hi there Here's another instalment!

**Story Fact: **I was trying to plan out the story making Naruto the ruler (or becoming the ruler throughout the story) you know, to make it coincide with the anime. And having Sasuke as some kind of figure in the army or a knight of some sort. But this is how it turned out.

**08 The Undeniable **

_Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, _

_or who said it, no matter if I have said it, _

_unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense._

**Buddha**

What had possessed her to come here?

After being turned away by most of the people she asked, her frustration had manifested and she'd took a moment to wallow in self-pity. Though friendly, it seemed the people of Konoha wanted nothing to do with her 'ancient language'. The others had briskly walked away when she approached after giving her a once over.

Her mind kept providing warm images of home, which really weren't helping the unwilling time traveller.

Then somehow, her feet began leading her along the familiar (or not so familiar) path home. She passed many obscurities so different from the future that she had to stop and take in all their splendour.

In place of the school she'd rarely attended were large clan houses; what their height lacked they made up for with width. If she stopped and listened carefully, she could hear the oriental ponds within and the rustling leaves the wind caught.

The library appeared restored. Though its general shape and height were still the same, years of weather damage and festival posters were missing from its walls and windows. It seemed peaceful in comparison to the one she used to know so well; after all, the gaudy neighbourhood kids weren't skating down its steep steps and terrorising everyone.

It seemed odd that the building had stood for so long. As far as she knew, not many in the time period were privileged enough to have an education. Then again, from the houses she'd seen, Konoha was most likely home to the country's richest men. Most of the houses seemed fit for lords and ladies. The lesser houses were saved for the back streets and the city outskirts.

Eventually, she stopped, unable to stop gawping at the building she stared at. In the future, a beautifully tall country home stood proud, surrounded by a white-picket fence and beautifully planted blooms. Ivy ran up the walls and around the grand, white windows, which reflected the sun joyfully.

Now (or should she say then) a simple, one story building stood in the place of her home with not much to its name. Not even a sign hung over head to clue in the civilians of Konoha of its nature, yet it was far from a house.

Her instincts flooded her, and she stepped forward almost brazenly and pushed the door open. Apparently there was little space inside. When the door thudded against a close by table, a heavy woman with dirty blonde hair kicked her feet from their perch on the furniture and stood up, alarmed.

She sent her an apologetic look, wondering if she had been sleeping before she arrived..

"What's wrong? Are you injured?"

Sakura blinked, her mouth falling open as she looked the peering woman up and down. "T-Tsunade?" She blurted out before she could help herself.

In front of her stood a tall woman, with wide hips and strong legs. Though her bust wasn't as brazen as her Aunt's, her image was near identical. The dirty blonde hair was tied back from her face in a no-nonsense ponytail and her bronze eyes were fully focused and alert. She had certainly made her heart skip a beat.

"What?"

"No, sorry; my mistake," she quickly apologised when she realised she'd just addressed a stranger so informally. She turned to leave before she could make a fool of herself, but the woman stopped her immediately.

"Wait, was there something you wanted?"

Sakura paused in the doorway, glancing back quickly to survey the room. A neat little kitchen lay just beyond the woman, and several wooden chairs were stacked against the wall. The only other thing within the room was a door leading to an unknown room. It seemed a little plain.

"I was just wondering... what this place was"

"This is a surgery. Granted it's a little livelier when those soldiers are up to no good. Seems like the majority escaped unscathed... this time."

Sakura nodded; unaware she was shamefully staring at the woman. She didn't seem to mind; she was staring back, just as intrigued.

"You," the woman paused, "Are the image of my late sister in her youth."

Sakura smiled then asked her the question which had been on her mind. "What's your name?"

"Senju Maiko"

Chills simultaneously ran up Sakura's arms and back. Before the woman could ask anything in return however, Sakura left with a quick goodbye. It wouldn't do her to get too attached to anyone within this world; especially not an ancestor.

Senju was her mother's maiden name, and her aunt's current name.

When she began walking down the street, all the troubles from the day washed away, and she looked up to the sky to find they had darkened without her knowledge. Thousands of glittering stars dotted the sea of midnight blue, and the crescent moon glowed down pleasantly. Not a dark cloud in sight.

It was kind of lonely.

The past two days had been spent in Sasuke's silent company and Naruto's playful naivety. And the nights had been spent warm and safe alongside the returning soldiers. Now, she was alone in an unfamiliar place with no shelter, food, money or company and a simple train ride wouldn't take her back home.

She frowned, feeling her face tugging downward like it did before she got upset enough to cry. Frustrated, cold and alone wasn't a pleasant combination under the circumstances. What was she going to do?

"Hey, Sakura right?"

Her head lifted at the sound of her name, and across the street she spotted a limping man with his arm around a young, grimacing woman who didn't seem to like Sakura instantly. The pink-haired woman ignored her and nodded at the man.

"You're going to the castle right? Should be a good one!"

"What are you talking about?" She asked rather bluntly, not realising her words sounded rude.

The man didn't seem to care. He had spent his days with burly men and soldiers, she quickly reasoned before she began thinking too much into it.

"The party, of course. Since you travelled with us, I thought you'd show up?"

When she gave him a blank look of utter confusion, he laughed. "They always throw a party for the returning soldiers! It won't be as big as usual since only a section of the army went, but it should be great! You coming?"

Unsurely, and with a quick glance at the rugged looking brunette, who was narrowing her eyes at Sakura like she was some kind of virus, she nodded her head and smiled. What else did she have to do? "Sure, why not?"

"Great!" The man laughed, hobbling and tightening his hold on the blushing woman's shoulder, who mumbled something rude at him under her breath. He smiled sheepishly at her and apologised, whilst being tugged up the road by the struggling woman.

Sakura followed at a distance. It was the same direction as the young couple, but she figured the pretty young girl wouldn't be too pleased with her interruption; especially since her man (did they say boyfriends in this time?) knew the unidentified woman so well.

Loud, raucous voices began yelling and singing behind her, and she glanced back almost timidly (not forgetting the incident at the unknown village) spotting more soldiers; some of which she recognised.

"Hey, it's her!"

"What was it...Sa-Saki?"

"Nah, Sakuno!"

"Idiots; its Sakana!"

"Actually, it's Sakura," she corrected rather dryly, turning to carry on dawdling her way to the castle.

"Hey, are you heading to the party?" One of the men asked, quickening his pace to her side. She glanced up at the lean red-headed guy who grinned down at her unabashed.

"Yeah"

"Great, let's go together!" Another voice from her left quickly instructed, draping an arm over her shoulder and pushing her along at a faster pace. She paused when she turned to him and then looked back to the man on the right, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her. They were identical!

"We're twins," the one on the left offered when he spotted her repetitive looks. She looked away a little embarrassedly.

"Only I'm the handsome one," the other whispered in her ear, making her grin. Her discomfort was forgotten, or rather replaced with a snicker.

She always did get along better with the guys. After many past experiences, she found herself giving up on befriending girls. They were far too judgemental and high strung for her tastes; with the exception of Ino, her lifetime guardian and girl chum.

"Names Oritto," Her left side called.

The right soon followed, "Sedan"

Another two or three voices shouted out their names from behind and all around the thin traveller, who found herself severely lacking the height to feel completely comfortable. She didn't pay much attention to the others, who were battered away from drawing too close by the two hanging from her shoulders.

They soon reached the castle gates, where a few pleasantries (which turned out to be not so pleasant, but rather crude) were exchanged between the guards at the gate, who held a mug of beer each. They gave her a questioning look and grinned at the men who accompanied her as if understanding something she didn't catch. They were ushered inside before she could ask.

The castle's courtyard was nothing short of beautiful, and she imaged that through the day the beautiful slabs beneath her feet were cleaned to perfection. Right now, however, a scene of pleasant chaos took over the grounds before the castle. Three gigantic tables stretched length wise across the courtyard, with a fourth up top, turned on its side so it could view the others. She spotted several men at the table, but she was way too far to identify any.

Men were scattered across the tops and sitting down on the benches beside it, with large tankards in hand and a merry tune in the air. The screamed, sung and chanted amongst one another as mini contests broke out between them; they were a competitive bunch but wholly merry.

The arms around her shoulders steered her towards the large kegs of beer stacked behind a similar table to the side, which was shorter in length. A pretty, short haired blonde stood behind it with her hands propped on her hips. She gave each man a stern look, which was, for the most part, unthreatening. Her looks were too demure and pixie-like in Sakura's eyes to appear anything but fragile.

"I'm watching all of you tonight; I'll have none of your games," she warned them sternly with a sweet little voice, her pointed chin crinkling with worry. Her striking, dark blue eyes zoned in on Sakura with mild curiosity.

"I know your plan. Don't go making a lady disrespectful, guys!"

"Aw come on, one drink, right Sakura?" Oritto enticed her with a throaty chuckle, his brown eyes gleaming.

Sakura smirked up at him and for a moment the smile was lost. The hand on her shoulder was brushed off a moment later. "What are you talking about? Don't go underestimating me. I could drink you all under the table."

Oritto's eyes flashed at the challenge and an excited grin quickly rose to all the men's faces. "I'll take that challenge any day, sweetheart!"

Sakura grinned over and nodded at the concerned barmaid. She leaned in close to reassure the woman. "They'll be whimpering long before I do," she laughed.

The woman sighed and began to gather the glasses, "Well I can't object, can I? The name's Anise."

"Sakura"

* * *

Sasuke's forehead felt like it was about to burst and he hadn't even subjected himself to the vile liquid they called booze. A Shifter's tongue was a sensitive thing and the bitter taste of beer overwhelmed his senses and made him feel disgusted. He wasn't the only one; in fact, finding a shifter who did drink the stuff was rare.

Naruto chugged down a full tankard and then licking his lips of the remnants with a hearty sigh. Sasuke sent him a side glance. He'd been like that since he returned from his mission to find Sakura. It was safe to say it wasn't a successful one, if his pout was any indication.

"Stop that," Sasuke instructed irritably, leaning back in his chair and gazing over the rowdy men. He wouldn't bother attending the event, but they were his men and seeing them have a good time helped him rest at night when his mind wondered to the casualties. Thankfully, this time there were none. His night would prove to be a peaceful one.

"Aren't you the least bit worried?"

"No"

Naruto grunted and glanced away, propping a chin on his open palm with a pout. As he scanned the crowds with mild interest (nothing ever seemed mild with Naruto), his eyes suddenly perked up, and he rose from his seat without so much as a warning, taking off over the table and heading for the men, who were beginning to gather around the furthest stretch of table. Sasuke frowned, listening carefully to the chants.

"New girl! New girl! New girl!"

He had a bad feeling; a very bad feeling.

Sakura turned with satisfaction to watch a defeated Oritto slump over table while trying to empty the swishing pewter tankard. She grinned almost cockily.

"Who's next?"

A chorus of 'me's and applause could be heard from the crowd, who cheered loudly for the petite young girl. The bitter taste of beer remained within the furthest reaches of her mouth. It was stronger than the watered down versions back home, and for a shaky moment, she thought she wouldn't last half as long as she usually did. But she found herself still standing on her own two feet and feeling nothing more than chirpy.

"I'm next!" A deep voice commanded from across the table. She looked over at the scarred, heavily built man who towered over the table and barely fit on the bench. He wasn't fat, by no means, but his muscles could quite easily assist in crushing a beasts head with little effort. She gulped, but tried to remain unfazed.

Before they began, hands both firm on their handles; he leaned across the table and sent her a sly grin. "I don't care if you are the Lieutenant's woman; I won't go easy on you"

For a startling moment, she simply stared at him in confusion. It was almost funny; she was sure she heard him say... _"W-What did you call me?!"_

Her competitor laughed loudly, chugged down the beer in one gulp and slamming it to the table. "That's what all the men have been saying!"

All the men had been passing around that she was the Lieutenant's woman? Sasuke's woman!? She could only imagine it was because he defended her against the captain, loudly stating she was under his charge. Then there was the fact he had let her ride with him when the wolves attacked.

She glared around at the wild laughter, and stood up, chugging her beer down, with a barely repressed grimace. When she slammed it down on the table and wiped her upper lip, she loudly announced for all to hear. "Now listen up, fellas! No _way _am I _Sasuke's_ woman! He couldn't handle me!"

The men cheered and laughed, like she had just given them a speech to boost morale, and she grinned, sitting down again rather smugly and reaching out for another beer, which the reluctant, blue eyed Anise poured.

A ruckus began to build from behind her as someone shoved their way through the crowds of laughter and cheers. A few familiar calls were shouted at the person, who was clearly popular amongst the men, before he emerged behind Sakura, who glanced back with her beer to her lips.

"Sakura! I thought it was you!"

"Naruto?" She lowered the glass, earning a low growl from across the table. For the most part, it was ignored in favour of staring at the less-than-impressed Lieutenant standing behind Naruto. He sent her a cross look, which sent a shiver down her spine.

"Are we competing or aren't we?" The man across the table growled.

She turned back to finish her drink with a jolt. "What are you doing? I was looking for you; all over Konoha! I'm glad you're here!"

She wiped her mouth and smiled at him. "Yeah, well those idiots dragged me along; thought I should make an appearance." She gestured over to the unconscious twins and their friends who hovered over them, cheering on Sakura, who was now officially part of the gang.

Naruto looked over with a bewildered expression. "What happened to them?"

"They couldn't handle their drink," Sakura grinned crookedly, reaching out for her fifteenth tankard. Her head was beginning to feel a little woozy. She glanced over at her competitor, who took a moment to close his eyes, and then swallowed the contents of her tankard, not disheartened.

After three more drinks, Sakura laughed and waved her hands. She liked a competition, but she knew when to call it quits. Her head was doing funny things. She looked over at her grinning competitor, who nodded in agreement.

"A draw, it seems. Perhaps next time we should move onto another competition?"

She nodded in agreement, and reached over to shake the man's hand, who gladly accepted and rose from the table with her. Separate crowds gathered around each of them, muttering encouragements and patting them on the back for the show.

It was funny; when the man had first approached, his whole image was terrifying. Perhaps if she'd been in a better state of mind, she would have avoided his stare and cringed away from him. Somehow; an unlikely respect had formed between them. Who'd have thought Tsunade's drinking tips would come in handy? She was beginning to feel accepted and the men were nothing but accommodating of her. They seemed to have gotten over the fact she was woman now; or perhaps forgotten about it.

When they eventually left her alone, save for the twins who had managed to peel themselves away from the wooden benches, they stood to the side of the large fire burning in the centre of the commotion, singing and dancing in a line. Sakura decided to sit this one out, and sneakily moved away.

She spotted an older man standing not two meters from her, but she didn't speak to him. Watching her new-found friends with a smile, the man's dark eyes turned to focus on her with confusion. She looked over and smiled politely.

"It's hard to believe they fought in a battle a few days ago," she commented offhandedly. When she had his attention, his eyes never wavered from her own. He seemed almost surprised, but it didn't last long. An almost cocky smirk rose on his lips, and Sakura swore she had seen him, or rather that expression, before.

"Did I say something strange?" She asked bashfully, turning away from the man to watch the drunken men dance around the fire they praised. It almost seemed like a ritual.

"Not at all," he replied in a deep voice. The sound vibrated in her chest, and she raised a hand unsurely, wondering if the feeling had been imagined. The man chuckled knowingly.

"You aren't from around here," he commented when she became silent.

Sneakily, she began watching him from the corner of her eyes, but he caught her in the act and she turned away quickly. "No I'm not... I suppose." She was getting nervous around the stranger. Her hand rose to her hair and she pushed it back from her eyes, laughing at how she seemed to reveal so much and so little with simple sentences.

"You are lost?"

Unsure whether he was asking or stating it as a fact, she nodded.

"Have you tried retracing your steps?"

It was startling he was helping her; he was a complete stranger, after all. A smile rose to her lips all the same, thankful for his care.

"Yeah, but that didn't do me a lot of good. I'm starting to think I'll be stuck here."

Uchiha Fugaku turned to the odd woman beside him, his face stern as always. She was a curious young thing, roughly his youngest son's age if he had to guess. Her clothing was also odd; it revealed a little too much cleavage, and left most of her legs bare. Why would she cut off the legs? Why would she wear pants anyway?

Then there was her odd hair colour, and how smooth and silky it seemed in comparison to the other women's (except his wife, of course). She obviously came from a higher class family to afford such hair care.

Perhaps the most alarming (and alluring) thing about her were those eyes, however. How very secretive they were. It made him want to integrate her and find out what her half answers really meant.

"Perhaps you're meant to do something here?" He was half tempted to summon one of the prophets to spill the secrets in her place.

Her eyebrows dipped together. He wasn't sure if she seemed almost sad or thoughtful, but in the next second, her expression lightened once more and she sighed.

"Maybe"

Sakura felt eyes watching her from across the distance, and she raised her head uncomfortably and began scanning the crowds of celebrating men. By the far table, she caught the eye of the Lieutenant she never expected to see again.

Her fleeting vision was obscured, however, by familiar blonde hair, which stepped into view with a smile. "Naruto," she blurted when he suddenly appeared.

"Ah, you met already?"

Sakura glanced over at the older man who was watching her and frowned. "Uh"

The man extended his hand to her kindly, "Uchiha Fugaku"

She grasped his own and shook it, before he could raise said appendage to his lips. "Haruno Sakura"

Naruto laughed at the bewildered expression on the King's face, but covered his mouth quickly when he sent him a side glance. "See, she's weird isn't she?"

Fugaku suddenly came to realise this was the woman Naruto spoke so much about; the time traveller, or so he hoped to find out. Momentarily letting the idea seem true, he inspected her once more under the pretence she was a vision of the future.

Women sure didn't seem to mind revealing a lot of flesh and their tone was almost rude. Did the future really not care for their image? Maybe women were viewed higher than they were currently. More so than ever, he wished the story to be true; he'd love to hear all about the future.

Another person quickly approached and fell into line beside the King. Naruto grinned over at his best friend, who was scowling at not being present when they spoke. He was so sure Naruto was going to encourage something odd from Sakura, who clearly didn't realise she was in the presence of royalty.

When the King glanced his way, he saluted and responded, "Father."

"You're Sasuke's dad?" Sakura blurted with a widening smile. "No wonder you seemed familiar!"

Naruto laughed and threw an arm around her shoulder, but Sakura wasn't impressed. She somehow felt like it was at her expense. Something wasn't right; it seemed like they weren't telling her something important.

Sasuke grimaced at her, so she crossed her arms defiantly. "What's wrong? Did you not want us to meet?"

"Honestly? No," he replied quickly, without a moment's hesitation. After his father's interest in her, he wanted them as far apart as possible, so the hysteria about her supposed _time travel _didn't manifest.

Sakura wrinkled her nose in irritation, but they were joined, once more, by another presence. It was Sakura's turn to scowl as Captain Julian stepped in between herself and Fugaku rudely, saluting Sasuke's old man and sending her a condescending look.

"Your Majesty, I would like a word"

Sakura felt her skin becoming very chilly. Had she just heard right?

Your Majesty? That was what he said right? To Sasuke's old...

When they left with a nod, Sakura's wide-eyed stare turned on Sasuke; he couldn't be! It wasn't right! Maybe Julian made a mistake? Of course not! Nobody mistakes royalty!

"He's the King..." She blurted with a start. But even more importantly, she turned on Sasuke. "_You're a Prince_?!"

**To Be Continued...**

**Review bitches!**

**V**


	9. The Uncovered

**Authoress Note: **Well hi there Here's another instalment!

**Story Fact: **I was almost tempted to change the pairing to Itachi x Sakura when I introduced him. But didn't since I never envisioned him when writing this story. Oh, in case you didn't guess... he's about to be introduced :D

**09 The Uncovered **

_First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, _

_then they fight you, then you win.__  
__**Mohandas Gandhi**_

Nobody was speaking.

The three of them stood there in silence, watching the men around them being collected by loved ones, who cursed them and their partying. The King, as Sakura had found out, was still speaking with Julian, who sent her sly looks every now and then. Fugaku seemed totally uncaring towards what the Captain said, however.

When they headed back towards their little group, Julian following behind with a flustered expression (he clearly hadn't been heard out like he wanted). Sakura unsurely lowered her head. How was she supposed to act towards royalty? Hell, towards Sasuke, who glanced at her every few seconds to gage her new attitude. He seemed almost nervous, but the thought was so ridiculous, that she discarded it quickly. Princes didn't get nervous.

A _prince_! She'd been speaking to a prince of the past so familiarly! Shouting his name uncaringly and even laughing with him like they were on the same level! She felt embarrassed! Like a god damned fool!

"Your Majesty, please; it can't wait. The advisors are planning as we speak. It should be brought up..."

"It can wait until tomorrow, Captain. I can see your concern, but the village's construction is our top priority."

Sakura just knew the Captain was up to no good. He reeked of ill will, and she wondered if it was something to do with herself.

"But, Your Majesty... _a woman_!"

Sakura's self-control snapped. "Something wrong with women, _Captain?_"

His angry gaze turned to her when the King wouldn't listen. "They are simply unfit to carry out the duties of men"

"Unfit?!" She burst, ignoring the restraining hand on her arm. "_I'll slaughter you!"_

She was sure Naruto was trying to smother his chuckling, while Sasuke simply crossed his arms and sighed under his breath.

"You speak out of line, _woman_!"

"And you speak nothing but bullshit!"

"Sakura..." She heard Naruto and Sasuke chorus. When Sasuke stepped in, she immediately silenced and glanced away, her mind repeating the same phrase. _Prince, Prince, Prince, Prince._ Why did it bother her so much?

He didn't play ignorant, either. Her every reaction hit him in the face and turned his stomach. She was already treating him differently. "Stop squabbling; Captain, you're dismissed."

Julian's red, angry flush didn't die down when he saluted the King and left swiftly with clenched fists. His Majesty turned to look at Sakura, who blushed and looked down to her feet, mumbling a feeble apology.

Naruto eventually let her arm go, satisfied that she would stay still. Still, it stunned him that she did calm down when Sasuke told her to. Was she acting weird now she'd found out? Naruto realised, almost pityingly, that Sasuke wasn't looking at her. His bubble had been burst, just like he hadn't intended.

He was an outcast again.

* * *

Captain Julian, for once in his life, didn't care about his outward appearance.

Slumped over the sticky surface of a grimy Tavern, he toyed with the handle of his tankard irritably.

That woman – no, that bitch was beginning to try his patience. Interfering with his conversations; leaping from carriages and throwing him from his horse; striking him! He'd suffered Major humiliation from that last one. His blackening cheek still stung!

Her tongue was beginning to get the better of her. All he needed now was a reason and he'd make sure she never let her tongue wag again. But not before he made her suffer the same humiliation.

And the King! He'd lost all hope (what little there was) in the so called royal family! Damn, if only he had the power, he'd overthrow them and restore his clan's name within society! He was getting desperate!

"Captain Julian; now there's a familiar face"

His half-lidded eyes glanced over to his right, and then with a startling realisation, he leapt up and reached for his sword. He grabbed nothing but air.

The man beside him laughed tauntingly, attracting the attention of the barmaid and several other patrons. He leant back against the same surface Julian had been slumped over on.

"Forget something?"

His sword; he had left it behind in his room within the castle. There was no need for it, after all. It seemed he had been proven wrong.

"What do you want?"

The hooded man turned his way with a bored expression. Archer Remsen; he was the leader of the rebel syndicate opposing the current royal lineage. His tawny skin spoke of days under the sun working hard. Perhaps that was where they were located; out in the plains. Travellers often disappeared through those lands and shade was sparse throughout. It was almost like a desert only with grass as a replacement for sand.

His light green eyes regarded the Captain playfully. "You're looking a little worse for wear. Something wrong Captain?"

With a grunt, he sat down once more, yet his eyes never left the womanising rebel leader, who sent a quick wink at the barmaid, who blushed and scuttled away embarrassedly.

He shrugged the hood from his head, revealing messy black hair, which stuck out in all directions. A simple, red bandana was worn around his head; it seemed a little dirty.

"You know, the syndicate was created for _your _sake. Technically, we're your men," he glanced over to find the idiot Captain's eyes had stilled on his drink and he listened quite tentatively. It seemed like he was very interested in the rebel leader's words. "The old royal family were so much more reliable. Now, we have dogs on the throne! Disgusting!" He spat on the floor beside him, causing the Captain to grimace and glance down at the bubbling saliva.

"You... wish to see the Saionji clan placed back on the throne?"

The rebel leader grinned; right where he wanted him. Ever since he'd heard from an informant that the Captain was beginning to get more irritable and even resorted to yelling at a woman, he had a feeling he was in for a treat.

"Of course," he answered straight away with a casual tone.

The Captain stood and shook his head. No, he wouldn't be tricked by this peasant! Only fools would fall for it! He turned and made his way towards the door, only pausing briefly to hear the rebel leader's parting words.

"You know where to find me"

* * *

Sakura had a feeling the King was keeping her around because he knew something.

It was evident in the way he offered her a room (which was freaking huge!) and the way Naruto kept smiling at her excitedly. But god, she couldn't deny that was the best night's sleep she'd ever had!

When she woke and crawled the long distance to the end of the bed, she pointedly ignored the pretty emerald green dress which had been left out for her and snatched her bag, yanking out the contents for her inspection.

She snatched up a pair of black half-pants and a white top with short sleeves. When she'd pulled on and laced up her boots, she left the room and made her way down the long, decorated corridors. Paintings hung everywhere of faces she didn't care to remember, and long side tables held the strangest of objects for passerby's inspection. Large torches were placed on the wall, and had been lit the previous night when she'd searched for the bathhouse to wash herself.

Who was she to turn down a room in a castle?!

She slung her backpack over her shoulder and descended the rounded stairs leading to the entranceway. When she made it to the bottom, she spotted a considerably normal looking Sasuke. _Prince _Sasuke.

He glanced up at her and watched her descend the stairs somewhat stiffly. She sent him a nervous side glance before heading to the doors to leave.

"Where are you going?"

She stopped and turned around. He still hadn't moved from his place by the wall. He leant on it casually with his arms crossed; it almost seemed like he'd been waiting for her to try and leave.

"There's no reason to stay"

Sasuke watched her shifting around uncomfortably and forced himself to look away. Was it because of him? She'd been odd since last night when that idiotic Captain let it slip. Technically, it was his fault for addressing his father as such, but how else was he supposed to greet him? He had all but insisted that, regardless of ranks, he was to be addressed as such.

With mild disappointment (he had no idea where the emotion came from), Sasuke realised he had no argument. She was right, there was no reason for her to stay, but it felt strange knowing she was leaving, most likely for good this time. It felt like he should stop her.

"Wait, Sakura!"

The line was stolen from him by a distant voice. They both turned towards the opened door of the throne room and spotted Naruto heading towards them. He frowned as he watched Sakura turn back around guiltily.

"Are you going?"

"I... have no reason to stay, Naruto," she answered honestly. Hesitantly. She hadn't even blinked when she told Sasuke. The thought didn't sit well with him.

"Well, stick around a little while," Naruto tried, thinking up a reason for her to stay longer. "The soldiers are training today; come and watch!"

Sakura bit her lip and thought on it. She wasn't sure what to do when she left. It was unsettling how lost she felt. Maybe she could put leaving on hold; at least for an hour or two.

She nodded eventually, feeling incredible self-satisfaction from seeing Naruto's smile widen happily. Something she was capable of, something so little, made him so gleeful. He was something else. Her eyes unwillingly trailed over to Sasuke, who was watching the floor in front of Naruto awkwardly. He sure didn't act like a prince; and Naruto's attitude around him was inexcusable! Was he really fine with it?

Naruto walked past her, expecting her to follow him outside, while Sasuke trailed behind almost sullenly.

The prince seemed normal today; simple black pants were tucked into his black boots and a black shirt hung loosely from him, its v-neck hanging lowly, exposing part of his chest. Sakura bit her lip and turned around, trying not to picture how easily he would fit into the future.

Naruto was the image of Sasuke, only chirpier, blonder and more excitable. His shirt was white, however, and seemed even baggier than Sasuke's. His skin was lightly tanned, unlike the Lieutenant's own paleness, and his boots were fastened a little sloppier.

"You have to cheer me on, right?" Naruto asked, glancing behind him as he rounded the corner of the stone castle and into a grassy area.

Sakura nodded, but her footsteps faltered when she looked up to find a giant, black wolf lying down calmly by the outer castle wall, it's head nuzzled into its paws. Her breath hitched, and she took a step back into Sasuke who held her tight before walking around her.

"What's-," he cut himself off when he spotted the giant black wolf, who stirred and lifted his head sleepily. His crimson eyes opened and zoned in on Sasuke, who took a step back in preparation.

It had to be him! The stupid mutt who almost drowned her! It looked identical! Only it seemed a little bigger. Who knew, right? Her memory was hazy as it was and she'd seen no other god like him!

Said god stood up to his full, intimidating height and walked towards the three, bending down and enclosing his paws around Sasuke, who cringed and tried to back away. Naruto's bellowing laughter could be heard by Sasuke somewhere beyond the enclosure of black fur. The dog leant down, letting its tongue flop out sloppily and run up the length of Sasuke, who tried to push it away.

It only moved when Sasuke was thoroughly drenched in drool. Sakura felt her lips blurting out her laughter, unwillingly, as she looked at Sasuke, who glared at the giant wolf in front of him.

Naruto leaned in closer, "That's Sasuke's brother; he's been gone for two weeks."

Brother?! How could Sasuke be the brother of a god?!

The answers came immediately when the dog turned and its muscles shuddered in on itself. The fur across its body waft like a wind had run through it, then immediately retreated into whitening skin. Its height collapsed slowly, and long, black hair stretched from behind the head which was now the size of a human's. He bent down, stark naked, and picked up the discarded pants nearby, which were stained with blood.

Sakura squeaked and covered her eyes with her hands. When footsteps approached them quickly, she uncovered them slightly, finding a tall, handsome man walking over with a stern expression.

"What the hell was that for?" Sasuke snapped, forgetting himself for a moment as he glared at his brother.

"I hadn't seen you for two weeks"

Naruto was still chuckling beside Sakura.

She looked up to find Itachi was looking at her. He didn't speak, not even to ask his brother who she was, so Naruto did the honours while Sasuke snapped his soaked hands to the side, letting the drool fling from him.

"This is Sakura. Sakura, this is Itachi."

He nodded, his interest now lost, and looked back to Sasuke, who sent him a miffed look as his hand raised and he pushed his forehead lightly with his finger. He left soon after, in the direction of his clothes no doubt, leaving Sasuke to grimace at his brother's retreat.

Brother, the thought seemed odd somehow.

_Brother!_

"Wait a minute, brother?"

Sasuke glanced away with a grimace. He soon realised why the laughter at seeing him drenched in his brothers drool died in her throat and she went silent.

She never knew the twenty foot gods could take on a human form! It had never been recorded before! Not anywhere! This was big; huge! So that meant Sasuke could do the same! And Sasuke was in the area when...

She turned and left in the general direction they had been headed before the giant wolf interrupted and licked Sasuke to death. Naruto followed soon after, but Sasuke's legs remained deadened. Now all of his secrets were leaked, the outcome was precisely as he had predicted. She was behaving strangely around him.

Naruto glanced back, getting the full force of the sneer from hell, before Sasuke turned and headed back to clean up after his brother slavered on him.

Uchiha Itachi pulled his boots on his feet and quickly made his way towards his brother, who walked quickly back to the castle. When he made it to his side, Sasuke looked up at him with a barely repressed glower.

"I missed you," Itachi replied to the expression. Sasuke wasn't sure whether he was teasing him or if he really meant it. There was never an in between with Itachi, whose lip began to twitch.

So he thought it was funny, did he?

Ignoring his very presence, Sasuke ascended the stairs towards the bathhouse, mindful of the following footsteps.

"Who is she?"

He sighed, having expected the question, and answered as simply as he could. "She's... no one."

Itachi may have scoffed if the reaction was in him. His brother's shoulders were stiff, and his fists clenched tightly. If there was one thing Sasuke prized himself on, it was his ability to keep cool, which was only second to Itachi's. To this day, the count of people who could provoke his irritable side was two; this so called no one might mean a little more than he let on.

"Father's interested in her," He tried again after he didn't get a response. He threw open the door to the bathhouse, unmoved by Itachi's intrusion. Before Itachi could respond to that one (with a comment about him being a dirty old man, which they both knew wasn't true) Sasuke continued, "Thinks she's a time traveller."

He whipped off his wet shirt, giving him a pointed grimace, and let it fall to the floor. Shifters were unfazed by one another's bodies, so Sasuke couldn't give a crap that Itachi was watching him when he threw his pants aside and climbed in the constantly warm water.

Only, he began to get suspicious when Itachi remained quiet, so he turned around and found a curious glint to his matching dark eyes.

"Is she?"

Sasuke scowled at him, "Don't tell me you believe him? It was the dobe's fault."

Itachi turned away to stare at the wall while Sasuke watched him silently with narrowed eyes. "It doesn't concern me," was his final answer. "I was simply curious as to your relationship with her."

"There is no relationship. We found her at the infiltrated village and Naruto invited her along."

"I see" Was that disappointment in his voice? Sasuke refused to rebuke; his brother would only get a rise out of it.

Without parting words, Itachi turned on his heel and headed out towards the training fields.

* * *

"You know," Naruto began, messing up his hair unconsciously. "Even Princes want some kind of... uh...normalcy! Yeah, normalcy!"

Sakura turned his way, her alarm evident on her face. Not for the fact that she wondered how Naruto even knew the word normalcy, nor the fact that what he said had some shred of truth in it. But because he bundled up Sasuke with other everyday princes. He was certainly the most un-prince-like prince she'd ever met.

Yet some part of her couldn't deny that he certainly had the air about him, and he was devilishly handsome; the dangerous sort which gets a girl in trouble. Definitely a prince, yet not at the same time.

"Being a prince separates him from the crowd. He wouldn't admit it, but I think he liked it when you called him Sasuke, not your highness. Not many do, you know. So, just treat him like you normally do. He'll know if you're acting weird, then he'll get all pissy..."

Sakura laughed and patted Naruto on the back. It sounded as if the pair were an old married couple! "I get it Naruto"

So he didn't like the title; she supposed she wouldn't either. The label alone separated you from the rest of the world. Did he even want her to call him Sasuke, like usual? Maybe she should test him out. After all, she'd experienced being singled out first hand when she was younger and prone to bullying.

The training field was enormous; something she wouldn't have expected to find behind the castle. There was also men everywhere; most of whom she couldn't recognise. Did Sasuke's brother lead an army too? It would make sense as to why there seemed to be three times as many men spread out along the grass, fighting one another with different weapons, which lay on the grass discarded, ready for some attention.

Naruto steered her through the crowds as he searched for someone familiar to spar with while Sasuke, no doubt, washed. She kept jumping and scuttling away when some of the battling men got too close, but for the most part, a small crowd had gathered around each battle, and bets were being placed. Were they really training?

Someone shouted out Naruto's name from across the field, and he grinned like a maniac, snatching her wrist and dragging her along. She fought her feet to speed up to his long-legged stride, but for the most part she was failing and stumbling.

"Hey, Sakura too?"

She looked up stiffly and found the twins grinning at her, wincing when the sun peered from behind the clouds. She grinned in satisfaction at the obvious signs of a hangover.

"You boys okay?"

They chuckled at her, and looped their arms around her shoulders; she took it as a sign of their approval. The location they'd chosen was quite close to the back of the castle, where several, white stone pillars stood holding the balcony overhead. Little white tables and matching chairs had been pushed back against the building for their own protection, and Sakura mindlessly wondered if there was a lady in the castle who liked to entertain guests there for tea or other such nonsense.

A few of the unknown men from the night before were fighting. She couldn't seem to remember their names, yet one of the men overlooking the fight caught her attention. It was the big guy who had challenged her and drawn. His stubble almost seemed spiky in the sunlight, and his piercing black eyes were definitely terrifying. Without alcohol in her system, she wasn't sure she felt totally comfortable being so close to him.

Wait... did he have a black _Mohawk_? How did she miss that one? Sure it was a little short, not like those punks from the twenty-first century, but she should have taken note of the unusual cut. Coupled with the scar crossing his lip, he was a terrifying man and she'd hazard a guess he drew quite a fair amount of attention.

As if reading her mind, his head turned and spotted her immediately. Having already been looking in his direction, she froze and then grinned like a silly little girl. What else was she supposed to do? Apparently he knew the reaction too well, and he sent her his own intimidating grin, though he nodded at the same time. Apparently (somehow) they seemed to have become buddies all because of a drink. She didn't even know his name!

She laughed to herself and turned to watch the fight, but the men weren't clashing blades anymore. They were looking off to the side, where Captain Julian had made an entrance and stood inspecting the fight.

"Carry on," he instructed snobbishly, making Sakura's toes curl. She just had to ignore him, she instructed herself, firming her resolve and standing somewhat stiffly.

The two competitors laughed and rubbed their heads awkwardly. "Ah, even if you say that. It's embarrassing"

Sakura didn't blame the men; the Captain was eyeing every move they made, ready to pounce at the slightest fault. Though that may have been useful to the men to better their abilities, it was a widely known fact that the Captain was...

His face twisted in disgust, and a small crowd began to gather around them, comprised of the competitors who had been sparring around them and their own crowds.

"_Embarrassing?_" _Uh oh, _Sakura thought dismally. "You are soldiers; get it together! You're acting like _women_!"

_Women?! Keep it cool, _she chanted. Regardless of her attempts, her hands had already picked up a rock she'd felt stabbing into her foot and threw it at the Captain. It hit his shoulder, successfully drawing his attention to her direction.

"Who did that?" When he zoned in on her, she gave him her best innocent expression. It may have fooled him, but the men around her began to step back, widening the circle Naruto's friends had used and making it obvious who the culprit had been. His face twisted into a smirk. "Ah, I was wondering when _you'd_ show up."

Naruto, who stood by the two who'd been fighting, looked over at her with a frown, ready to step in if need be.

"And what's this? No Prince to protect you?"

"I don't need protection!" She blurted out, finding herself getting annoyed at his attitude.

"Good. What was it you said again?" He took a moment to pause in thought mockingly. "Ah that's right; _you'll slaughter me_?"

She hadn't even moved yet, and already the adrenaline was coursing through her veins, making her skin buzz. He wanted a fight? Well, who was she to reject a _captain_? "I'm glad you remembered," She shot back.

Uchiha Itachi ran a hand through his hair and leaned against the pillar nearby his mother's lunch tables. The firm stone slabs he stood on had more height than the grass the soldiers were gathered on, so he could see the disturbance quite clearly. Surely the Captain wouldn't seriously attack the girl? Had he truly made a mistake when picking Julian? He had been picked because of his family's legacy, not to mention it quit their jabbering about disrespecting their line. Not that he wasn't a good soldier.

His brother had ignored him for a week afterwards.

Julian gripped the handle of his sword swiftly and ran at her. She turned to the side, where the soldiers were calling at her to run with wide eyes; but she didn't. She ran for a discarded sword, picked it up, and turned in time to block the oncoming assault. The force of his attack made her stumble backwards and gave him the edge to strike again.

Swiftly, she turned and ducked under his sword, which crashed down against the earth. "How's your cheek?" She called tauntingly, earning a few collective glances from the men who had heard. Apparently word hadn't spread like she suspected. Maybe he threatened them? The thought was strangely satisfying.

He spun around angrily, his teeth bore like a wild animal, and then ran at her rashly. She dodged the blow niftily, skittering away from each and ducking beneath those which were too close. The enraged Captain was beginning to get sloppy.

But could she seriously win? He was a Captain after all; she was sure he earned the title for a reason; odd that he became so emotionally unstable so quickly. Not only that, but she was useless with swords. Sure, she could swing them around madly and block with them (she'd been forced to many a time with many different objects during excavations when raiders interrupted their exploits).

What she needed was to disarm him. She was good with her hands, not swords. Even now, the metal felt clumsy and heavy in her hands. They weren't designed for women, after all.

With that plan in mind, she quickly widened the distance between them with a quick handspring and called out once more. "What did you tell your men; that ten thugs attacked you?"

His face turned a deep red as he whirled around and gave her an ugly stare. _Had he?_ She found herself thinking irrationally.He charged again wildly, momentarily frightening her with his speed and strength. Still, he wasn't behaving calmly and he was full of opening's she could easily take if she wasn't slowed down by the sword.

"When all it took was one girl!" Though offended by her own insult, it seemed to do the trick quite well.

With an angry cry, he slammed the sword down hard, hoping that he'd blindly hit her. She jumped away from the strike just in time, and swung her own sword into his furiously, throwing the weapon away from his grip, where it skidded across the grass. Her own blade, however, broke in two uselessly, and a devious grin rose to the crazed man's face.

"Nice try, girl. But now you're unarmed."

She threw her broken handle to the side and smiled back, raising her fists in preparation. "That's the point. I never was very good with swords."

He cried angrily, exciting the nearby Prince who found the fight was nothing but entertaining. Of course he'd vowed to step in the moment the idiotic, cowardly Captain attacked a girl, no less, should she need it. The last add on only entered his mind when she managed to evade his attack. But she handled him well; even when it was apparent she was useless with swords. Still, she had a stance, and she evaded the man impressively. If he was unsure as to what type of training she'd received, his questions were answered quickly when she blocked the man's fists and sent a kick to his face, making him stumble backwards.

Hand-to-hand combat? That was unheard of (or at the very least, rare) even for a man. Himself and Sasuke had been trained during their stay in the mountains, but they were royals. For the most part, fist fights were limited to bar brawls and were sloppy; without formation. Her style was different to anything he'd ever seen before.

His brother jogged up beside him and peered out to the men. "What's happening?"

Itachi chuckled in response when Sasuke spotted Sakura taunting the Captain who fumbled his way to his feet and ran to grab her. His brother groaned, then began pushing his way through the crowds. Apparently, he must be used to it; his brother didn't even seem surprised. The thought only tickled him more.

Twisting to the side in the last second, she lifted her hands defensively when she eyed the punch that had almost hit her. With one hand, she grabbed the returning wrist, and then with her free arm, she turned to the side and sent her elbow into his face. His head snapped back when it connected, and she let go quickly with a parting side kick which threw him through the crowds of people and onto his back.

She watched him looked around wildly, blood pouring from his nose and mouth uncontrollably. When he spotted the pillar he had landed beside, not some distance from Sasuke's brother, he reached over and dragged himself up its length to stand dizzily.

"Y-You... you bitch!"

The satisfaction from the cheering crowd, who began to humiliate the Captain with degrading names, never came. Her stomach twisted evilly when she eyed his unabashed shame and the embarrassment and the hatred in his eyes. It wasn't fun anymore. A frown made itself present on her face when she looked at him and for that moment, she forgot all about the man's disgusting pride and need to degrade women and underdogs alike.

Sasuke broke through the crowd and looked down to the beat up Captain, then over to the guilt stricken Sakura, who looked away quickly. "What happened?" He demanded.

The crowd quietened for a response, but nobody answered. Sakura turned away, to walk over to Naruto who beckoned her over with a grin. Beside him, her equal competitor from the night before stood above the rest at an intimidating height, his arms folded in satisfaction.

"T-That's right, run along to your _companions, _common woman!"

Red in the face, Sakura reached out and stole one of the little daggers hanging from Naruto's belt. Ignoring his defiant 'hey', she turned around towards the madly grinning Captain and launched the throwing knife through the air. With a loud thud, it embedded itself deep into the pillar beside his head, making him stumble away and stare aghast.

Naruto bellowed, uncaring if he was voicing his open disgust for the man, "Nice shot!"

Sakura shot him a look, picking her bag up off the floor. "What are you talking about?" She sent the staring, _quiet _Captain a pointed look, "_I missed"_

**To Be Continued...**

**Review my minions! Review!**

**V**


	10. The Unforgiving

**Authoress Note: **I'm not a happy bunny right now. I'm not getting any e-mail alerts for reviews and such. So I can't reply to your reviews, and thought that I hadn't received any for the last two chapters. **I thought you had all lost interest!**

**Story Fact: **Naruto is not in love with Sakura in this story. Thought I'd clear that up before some clever reviewer asks if he is because he worries about her.

**10 The Unforgiving**

_Action expresses priorities.__  
__**Mohandas Gandhi**_

It seemed like his time travelling guest was sulking.

Uchiha Fugaku walked closer and then stopped in front of the young girl, whose head shot up to identify her visitor. She jumped to her feet and bowed lowly from the waist down.

"Your Majesty"

He allowed a half smile before he took the seat beside her on the bench in the entrance of the castle. He didn't ask why she was there, or what her next move was. It seemed certain that even she didn't know.

"Is there something wrong?"

She shook her head immediately, accepting the offer of sitting beside him when he gestured. He didn't speak after her silent answer, but she began to fidget somewhat uncomfortably.

"You didn't know, did you?"

She turned his way, questioning whether she should hold eye contact with a man so important. What was he even doing here; unguarded, no less, and alone? Maybe he'd escaped the advisors? She would have laughed at that, but she was too busy moping.

"That Sasuke was this country's prince? That I was its king?

She shook her head silently, and then offered her apology. "Sorry"

When she couldn't take the silence anymore, her built up anger escaped in a rant. "Why aren't women viewed as worthy? They pour your drinks, clean your rooms, look after your home, look after _you_, and bear your children! How dare he spit on our very existence!"

Hanging around in the past was beginning to affect her. Not only was she saying weird things, which helped her fit in, but the very attitudes of the time were strange. And the toilets! She vowed not to think on those anymore.

"Ah yes, you're not from around here, are you?"

She shook her head, oblivious to the fact he had diverted the conversation to her origins. Her guard was down, but she wouldn't realise yet.

"Where is it you're from?"

She sighed and began her explanation. "Well Konoha, technically. I was born in Timber though, since my mom was working there at the time."

Mom? What was a mom? Timber? Sasuke had mentioned such a place, but hearing her admittance spiked his curiosity. Where were those gossiping prophets when he needed them?

"You live here?"

She laughed and turned to him. "Well not _here," _Then froze up when she looked into his dark, questioning eyes.

She had been speaking so casually after rounding up her rant. Uchiha Fugaku was a surprisingly normal King; someone who chatted simply and kindly. Someone she had forgotten was of the past and possibly knew her origins if he'd been near Naruto since he returned.

He held her wide-eyed, red handed stare and nodded. "I was already told of your origins; no need to be alarmed."

Her throat turned dry. For him to openly admit he knew was something else; especially since Naruto kept dancing around the fact and Sasuke didn't let her in on anything. If she was unsure before, she at least now knew the truth. But, he didn't seem to hold any scepticism.

"You believe me?"

"I haven't made my mind up yet"

It was understandable. A perfectly normal response to such a secret.

"How did you come to be here?"

Figuring the cat was already let out of the bag, she answered him truthfully, but didn't dare look at him. Her knees were of far more interest. "I was exploring the Forest of Death with my Aunt," he sent her an odd look at her name for the forest, after she explained which one. "She'd found texts of the Holy Lands and their Mother Guardian, so we searched for them.

Fugaku nodded in understanding. He, too, had heard of the sacred tree near his border, but since the territory was dangerous, and not many ventured into the depths of the eerie woods, he hadn't heard much.

"When we got there, we were attacked by a..." She didn't finish the thought, unsure of what to call him exactly. Sasuke had mentioned they were shifters, but she wasn't confident about using the word in front of the King, who was most likely the same. "It knocked me back, and when I woke up, I was here. It has to be the tree."

"Perhaps the Mother Guardian has magical properties. Those of the olden world were very much in tune with those forbidden arts. They've been lost to us for some time now, yet remnants of their teachings are still everywhere. Not many can understand them."

Sakura nodded, thinking to the carvings she'd marked down from the giant tree. The key to it all was understanding those markings.

"What year is it; where you're from?"

"2009"

His eyes glimmered, "Has our world changed?"

Sakura laughed, "It's totally different!"

They didn't keep track of how long they spoke for. The King was thirsty for her knowledge of the future; more and more questions kept surfacing from nowhere. After she'd explained what 'mom' meant, how tall the buildings were, what they were made of and who was in charge, Sakura found the opportunity to explain a woman's worth when he asked a vital question.

"You said your mother works?" He had the sneaking suspicion women were granted a lot more in the future, from the way the girl spoke so fondly of her mother and aunt.

"Yeah; she worked with my aunt, translating the old language and excavating ruins."

"Excavating?"

"It's like, digging up things from centuries ago and rediscovering things we forgot."

"They allow women to do these things?"

Sakura rebuked quickly, "Of course. Women are viewed as equals; we have rights!" When Fugaku seemed astounded, she continued. "There are just as many women who've done something great as there are men!"

Fugaku felt like he was under attack, but nodded politely and listened nevertheless. When he was sure he had heard of every invention created by a woman (most he didn't understand) and every accomplishment known worldwide, someone interrupted with a hoarse cough.

"Your Majesty, an audience has been gathered. Your sons are waiting in your study."

He nodded and then looked over to part farewell from the dejected looking time traveller, who nodded and smiled at him.

"I wish to hear more" Was all he said before he followed his no-nonsense advisor up the stairs.

* * *

Their unlikely guest had stirred up a lot of trouble. No wonder she'd been sulking.

Sasuke wasn't sure how long he had stood, staring at the forlorn expression the painting beside him held. His legs were beginning to numb from their unmoving stance in front of the King's desk and his mind was crying out for some peace and quiet.

Captain Julian had been ranting for a while now. It concerned Sakura, which was obvious through the fact he kept cursing women, stating their worth (or lack thereof), and there fight.

"She should," he spluttered and paused only to repeat himself, "She should be beheaded!"

Sasuke couldn't resist sending him a bored look.

"And as for that brat Uzumaki; his blatant disregard for superiors is beginning to affect the others! Soon they'll be walking all over us!"

Sasuke's attention quickly snapped to him, sending him a look which promised pain. Julian made the mistake of looking over, and immediately regretted it, looking down to his feet a moment later. He had insulted the Lieutenants best (and only) friend. Not only that, but he had clumped himself in with royals, no less. His family had long since been out of power since the Uchiha's took the throne.

Fugaku sighed and shook his head. No way would he whip Naruto into being a mindless zombie. His youngest already had certain social issues; he was the only one besides Itachi who connected with his son, who never once asked for anything. Regarding Sasuke, there was family and then there was Naruto. It was almost depressing to realise there was nothing more aside from some vague association with his Second Captain, Hyuuga, and the Advisor Nara.

"Naruto already holds a large amount of respect from the soldiers. We'll not have them lose confidence in us"

Over beside the bookcase to the left of the desk, an amused looking Itachi stood with his arms folded joyfully. It seemed like, despite the fact he had selected Captain Julian himself, he was enjoying the man's rant against Sasuke's new friend and best friend.

"Sasuke, what is your take on this?"

Sasuke looked over to his father and spoke up, "Sakura was invited to the training fields by myself and Naruto. I can only assume Captain Julian here," he glanced at him from the corner of his eye, "Provoked her and commenced a fight. Seeing how this took place during training, which she was asked to attend, all that happened was no different from any other fight occurring during those hours in those grounds."

"Women are not permitted to use the fields, _let alone fight!_"

"Then why'd you attack her?" Sasuke shot back in a bored tone, crossing his arms after having lost all care about the argument. He'd heard all about it from his brother, who had been watching the whole thing.

The King nodded. "I see. This matter is dismissed. If you do not wish to start fights with women, I suggest you keep from offering the invite Captain."

Sasuke sent him a lazy smile before turning to walk out of the room, alongside Itachi, who seemed very happy. He was a sadistic bastard.

Julian, who was pissed to the extent to kill, still dutifully stood and saluted before bringing up another matter. "About what we discussed last night; have you reached a decision?"

Fugaku sighed, his conversation with the time traveller flashing before his mind.

Sasuke paused alongside his brother and glanced back with a frown. Their father hadn't told them what they had discussed the previous night, but it had seemed shifty and two faced of the captain. He decided to stick around and listen, unless his father said otherwise.

"Yes, I've thought it over, and I believe it will be a refreshing change to have Miss Isabel lead Cardel as her father had"

"You'll do nothing? She's a _woman_!" He spat.

Sasuke frowned. Sure, he didn't put women on a pedestal, but that was largely disrespectful. They were clingy, whiney and liked to grab him and say disgusting things to him, but that didn't mean the likes of Adel's Isabel were the same. Hell, she was quite firm when directing and calming her village. He fully backed his father.

"Times are changing, Captain. Soon women will be expected to do just as much as men to bring our world into the future."

Sasuke knew there and then that his father had been brainwashed by Sakura, another woman who didn't fit into the same category as those he disliked. He wasn't sure which category she fit into, but it was in a league of its own. One Isabel didn't fit into.

While Sasuke zoned out, Itachi lost all humour at the murderous look on Captain Julian's face. He had many of his looks in the past; anger, annoyance, glee, smugness. Not once had that sort of expression been directed at any of them; let alone his King! His eyes narrowed dangerously, and his arms folded once more as the stiff Captain saluted, turned and then walked past them quickly, causing a breeze against his face.

Sasuke looked up with a frown at his brother when he caught sight of the same expression, then they both looked at their father who nodded to them and then dismissed the two.

* * *

It was a far stretch from any form of insanity, yet he could feel it snap.

Within the depths of his stomach, something churned and tightened; something which wasn't _supposed_ to churn and tighten. It spread throughout him, quickening his heartbeat, and making his fingers tingle until they were forced to clench in a fist.

Rage; he'd never lost it so much; not even when that stupid bitch had fought and _won_!

He had stopped trying to make sense of his own thoughts, which spiralled out of control.

That dog king! His dog sons! His whole _race_, which contaminated and plagued the city more so than they had when his ancestors had ruled! He had grit his teeth together and endured their reign, but he'd had enough!

The open entryway to the tavern quickly flew past him as he strode towards the bar and slammed his fist down beside the undisturbed patron, who looked down at the appendage silently. The hood fell back, revealing that same, tattered bandana containing his uncontrollable black hair. His light green eyes raised and locked with Captain Julian's, which were filled with rage and determination.

"Yes?" He asked tauntingly, wanting to pry the answer from his lips. He already knew the answer, though. Men like Julian were easily controlled through their emotions; particularly their fury.

"Do it! I don't care what it takes! I want that damn dog grovelling at my feet by morning!"

Archer smiled wickedly.

* * *

"Do you even know where you're going?"

Sakura came to an abrupt stop and looked around the streets. The square outside the castle was large and filled with roaming women in long dresses and men in odd pants. There were three choices; left, right and straight ahead. Then, possibly _more_ streets which veered off from the three initial routes.

Technically, she did know where she was going. The layout wasn't _too _different from the Konoha of the future. And she knew what she was supposed to do. In a way, though, Sasuke's brother was right. She hadn't a clue what she was looking for. There was no destination in mind.

She turned around to face him. His arms were crossed quite casually, and his dark gaze bore into her shining green eyes. He had an authority about him which left no room for argument and Sakura found herself stuttering for a response.

Reminding herself he was a prince, she moved to bow, but he interrupted the gesture before she could finish the thought. "Don't bother."

She straightened immediately, as though his word were law, and obediently waited until his business with her was done. All the while, her mind questioned whether she'd do the same for Sasuke. Perhaps it was simply because Itachi was older and there'd been no misunderstandings about him being anything other than a prince.

"I do know where I'm going; sort of"

"I thought you were from the future?" He questioned her lazily, leaning against the opened gate of the castle. The guard beside him looked to one another oddly, and then eyed Sakura as though she'd grown a new head.

Sakura was taken aback. He sure was... a little more blunt than his brother. Straight to the chase. She supposed it made it easier to deal with this way but... how many people had been told exactly?

"The general layout hasn't changed much," she admitted honestly, watching every reaction to what she said to judge whether or not he believed her.

He didn't seem to care.

"Have you told my brother of your leave?"

"No, but I thanked him and your dad for everything." She realise immediately her error, and panicked. "I mean, the King."

Once more, his disinterest caught her off guard and she failed miserably at hiding it. "What do you mean by the word _dad_?"

"Uh, father," she answered stupidly, momentarily becoming sidetracked.

"Speaking of my father, I hear you promised to tell him more of your time."

Sakura grimaced. "Yeah, I did... I think." Technically she hadn't promised, he sort of just expected her to pull through. He was the king; so it seemed more of an order.

"Do you intend to break that promise?"

Sakura instantly knew what he was doing. She sighed and lowered her head in defeat, watching her dirty boots as though they were the most amusing thing in the situation. Perhaps they were... in comparison to Itachi's odd looking boots.

Realising she was staring at his feet, her head raised defiantly and she looked him in the eye. "What are you getting at?"

"You'll have to stick around until my father is satisfied with the amount of knowledge you've supplied." With that order of business said and done, he turned to head back for the castle, no doubt satisfied he had her caught and reeled in like a kipper.

Only he paused and turned his attention beyond Sakura before he left.

Sakura turned around and followed his attention. Julian briskly walked past the two of them, without so much as a glance; not even a polite greeting to his prince. She wasn't blind; she took quick note of his clenched fists, stiff posture and the gloomy, _eerie_ aura about him.

Itachi had already left when she turned back around.

What was _that _all about?

**To Be Continued**

**Okay, review if you loved how Sasuke stuck up for Sakura :P**

**V**


	11. The Unfaithful

**Authoress Note: **Well, since you've all been such sports, here is another chapter. I'm feeling terribly nice today... its scaring the neighbours :D

**Who can draw? Not that I'm hinting at anything, of course lol**

**Story Fact: **Although OC's annoy me, I don't want to make your imagination's lazy by keeping the same characters. So I'm feeding you new personalities and images :D I'm nice like that –snort-

Also because sometimes I can't bring myself to make a Naruto character bad (unless they're already an ass!)

**11 The Unfaithful**

_It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe,_

_that lures him to evil ways._  
_**Buddha**_

Something was wrong.

Unlike the previous night, Sakura could not settle and sleep in her luxurious room, courtesy of the King. She had tried to blame the alcohol in her system the previous night, but sleep still didn't come.

Perhaps it was because she had accepted a room in the King's home. This was her first, unaffected (as in, she wasn't currently inebriated) night in the past, in a proper bed. And she knew without a doubt she wouldn't delude herself, like she had done the first night, into thinking she'd wake up in her own finding everything had been a dream.

It seemed the most logical reason.

She pushed herself up and threw the covers away from her. The sight made her pause. When she had returned to her room to sleep, she found a nightdress harmlessly lying on the covers of her bed, beckoning her to wear it.

She had discarded it, cursing whoever put it there along with the person who instructed it to be there, and dug around in her bag for her shorts and tank top. It took a moment before hysteria took over; she hadn't packed them.

During the nights travelling, she didn't want to wear them should they get dirty, and sleeping in dirty clothes when she _did _manage to find a bed would be uncomfortable. It didn't help her when she wanted to relax. And the night before she hadn't bothered changing because she passed out on the bed the moment she hit the deliciously soft covers and sank into them.

Once more, she blamed the alcohol.

Her feet hit the cold floor when she jumped out of the bed, and eyed herself in the large mirror by the window, which overlooked all of Konoha's streets. After a little modification (namely her cutting hell into the long fabric which made her look like a floating spectre) the dress had been rid of its sleeves, its neckline and most of its lower half. The edges became a little frayed, yet they were unnoticeable unless you were up close and personal.

Flecks of fire caught her eye, and she turned her sights on the scene outside of the window.

Hundreds of illuminated lights reigned down over the wall of the castle, somewhere from the other side. She was puzzled at first, and blamed her unquenchable fatigue; until one of them flew and embedded itself into the stone wall beside her. The light, now identified as a flame, extinguished when the pointed tip took an unrelenting grip on the wall.

Arrows.

The scene seemed less awestricken and more deadly when Sakura looked out once more and down to where guards piled up against the gates, which were being forced open from the other side.

Wasting no time, she turned for the door and yanked it open.

_Wait a minute!_ She paused and looked down at her nightdress. The only comfort she received from wearing it was the fact nobody would see the embarrassing moment. Was she really going to run around the hallways screaming attack in a butchered night dress?

What was she thinking?! And at such a critical time?!

She snatched the light cream shorts from the deep brown dresser and tugged them up her legs as she ran out of the room. They were barely visible from under her nightwear.

Running along the corridors lined with paintings of scenery and unfamiliar faces, Sakura dodged the long tables holding flower vases and strange ornaments. When she reached the entrance, where the two grand staircases dipped into, she looked through the large windows in horror and found the siege had made it to the courtyard.

Through the windows, the men spread out across the expanse of the grand, stone courtyard. The guards were unprepared and fewer in numbers; a fair amount of the invaders charged for the door and opened it with little effort.

Sakura leaned over the balcony of the second floor in time to spot a few of the maids running out to see what the ruckus was.

"Run! Get away!" She yelled at them quickly.

They looked up in alarm, but nodded obediently and scurried off towards the servant quarters.

With them out of the way, she immediately scoured the walls, hoping beyond hope there was some form of mounted weapon she stereotyped the past to possess. Her luck was in, and down the staircase she spotted two elegant sword hanging on the wall for inspection. They made quite the beautiful piece, but she forced the thought from her mind as she descended the stairs.

Before she even made it halfway, the doors burst open and a few thuggish men ran inside and spotted her immediately.

She froze on the steps and looked at them in alarm. She didn't bother with a head count; the surprise wouldn't last long and they'd quickly jump to action in seconds. Rebels; they had to be. A whole array of young punks, armed with a variety of different swords. They were dressed brightly; in red and even blue tops. Some didn't even bother covering up; it all added to their intimidation and Sakura would be a sucker if she didn't admit it worked.

"No need to welcome us!" One of them taunted, pushing to the front of the crowd and heading for her with frantic steps. Shit, _he looked hungry!_

She sent one last, parting glance down at the swords and decided quickly she wouldn't make it. She turned and fled back up the stairs, away from the approaching, red-headed punk with a whiney voice.

When she made it to the top step, her waist was seized, and she fell to the carpeted, red floor under the momentum of his strike. Beneath the weight of the man who tackled her, she was quickly rendered immobile. His hands enveloped her wrists and pinned her down to the floor ruthlessly, regardless of her struggles.

He glanced over his shoulder and yelled at the men behind him very much like some crazed man. His eyes bulged excitedly. "Kill everyone! Do what you like to the maids!"

The men laughed and cheered, and from the corner of her eye, she spotted them splitting up and veering down different corridors. From the servant quarters, several women began squealing and crying loudly. Her stomach quickly tightened; it was the maids she had shouted at.

"Bastards!" She spat, much to their mirth.

Another quickly joined her side, and helped the man sitting on top of her flip her over. She glared up at him and began struggling and pulling against his hold. When one of her wrists was pried free, she threw her fist out and punched the red-head square in the face.

"Bitch!" He cursed, grabbing a fistful of her hair. "Hold her down!"

In that moment, Sakura was assaulted with the vision of being grabbed in the dead end alley and pinned to the wall. She panicked, and began bucking to try and throw the men off her. She wouldn't let that happen again! She wouldn't let them!

The louse behind her knelt and grabbed both of her hands, pinning them behind her back so she was defenceless. She kicked her legs out and even tried sending her head back into the man behind her. He was much taller, so she only managed to hit his chest with dull thuds while he laughed viciously.

She needed to do something; anything! But what? They had her tied down! She turned her head and looked longingly down the empty corridor. Was no one awake? The ruckus all around them was beginning to grow louder and out of control.

A tall man walked past their scuffle. "What is _this_? No one to protect you? No threats? _Nothing_?"

She clenched her teeth until it stung her gums. "_Traitor_"

A very smug Julian scoffed but didn't stop to squabble with her. He simply kept walking. "I'll be back to finish you off myself, until then... I'll have _them _keep you company." He paused mid-step and glanced back at the grinning men pinning him down.

Sakura felt goose bumps rise on her skin, and all too quickly, her body began to freeze up and shake. She looked back into the eyes of the maddened thug holding her down.

Then, she screamed loudly; loud enough to wake everyone down the corridor Captain Julian had disappeared down. Not for her own sake, but for the royal who Julian hunted down; whether it was Sasuke or his father.

* * *

He'd been pacing the room, expecting to waste some of the energy keeping him from sleeping. He'd been doing it for a while now.

If he were shifted, he was sure his fur would be rising, warning him prematurely of something he had no idea about. Something didn't feel right.

Sasuke looked out over the lake streaming past the eastern wall of Konoha. It was a peaceful scene, away from the noisy front of the building, which was plagued with the sounds of Konoha and its people. It was the reason he had chosen this room.

He stopped walking and calmed himself until he could hear everything around him. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, or rather listening for, but he closed his eyes nevertheless, just as a strange crash sounded from downstairs. Puzzled, he grabbed his boots and tugged them over the edges of his black pants.

Just as he yanked up the last and stood up, a piercing scream rang aloud down the halls, echoing until it reached every room and awoke every slumbering occupant.

What the hell was happening?

Finding himself suddenly furious for being unaware of whatever commotion was happening downstairs, he threw open the door and took hold of Saiber; his darkened sword. With every step he took down the ornate corridors of his home, his fingers tightened around the smooth, black sheath in his hand.

The sounds from below were getting louder; namely screams and dull crashes. How had he remained oblivious to this? When he was able to see the top of the staircase, he quickly stopped and looked at the sight in front of him.

Sakura lay sprawled out on the floor between himself and the stairs, one arm restrained over her head awkwardly, and her foot raised and planted in the face of some ginger punk, who held a knife in one hand and grabbed her ankle with the other. The guy behind her had a chunk out of his ear, which had bled down the side of his face and left a trail on his shirt. Sakura's other hand had reached behind her, where she grabbed hold of something precious which made the large man's eyes cross.

They all froze and looked over at him. Sakura had to wonder if they looked like some warped game of twister.

"What are you _doing_?" He had to ask before he could help himself. Crossly, she narrowed her eyes at him. Was now any time for his bizarre sense of humour?

The men jumped into action; in particular the thin one holding the pathetically sized knife. He leapt to his feet and charged at Sasuke, who twisted out of his way and smacked him in the head with his sheath.

The man trying (and failing) to tame Sakura released a high pitched squeal and pushed her away, where she staggered to grab hold of the ornately polished banister protecting the balcony. Sasuke sent the handle of his blade into the back of the man's neck then turned to Sakura, who leaned over her knees and sighed in relief.

"What's happening?" He demanded angrily, walking up to her and peering over the banister to the crowds below. The men running around below looked like thugs, bandits and common criminals. They scurried everywhere like rats, and their mere body odour seemed to have tainted the air. Sasuke sniffed, and then spotted one shirtless man in particular who ran for the exit, balancing a blue vase in his arms.

Surely they weren't stupid enough to rob the castle?

"I'm not sure; Julian led them and stormed the castle! He might be after your dad!"

Sasuke quickly yanked her behind him before he could ask what a _dad _was and raised his sword to block the lowering wooden pole which had almost struck them.

He didn't bother fighting her when she tore away from the arm which had held her back and ran down the corridor. Perhaps she was seeking cover. It would certainly help if he didn't have to protect her (an honoured guest, his father had described).

* * *

The night had been a quiet, calm one before the rebels attacked.

He had been lounging around the castle's West wing, in front of the stables, where the horses rested. They weren't disturbed by his presence; unlike the first few months he had decided to sleep outside. They had driven him insane with their insistent neighing and stomping.

They weren't the only ones who found themselves having to get used to him.

The night patrols too had been uneasy with him lying there. Although he wasn't in the way, they weren't used to seeing one of the royal family in full form. That didn't mean they didn't adapt. They didn't glance over as much as they used to.

So when the attack happened, he was very much aware and very much in the frontline.

The idiots had rushed inside screaming wildly, adrenaline clearly taking over their ability to think. What a waste; they'd had the perfect opportunity for a stealthy attack, but chose to rush in like squealing pigs.

They found themselves quickly frozen when they searched around back and found him lazily watching them.

The bristling black fur stood on end, and merged him with the night around him. It wasn't until he opened his eyes and stared at them that they spotted and realised exactly who it was. His elongated snout only defined his narrowed, irritated eyes; which glowed a vibrant shade of blood red. His pointed claws would soon match.

When he stood up from his nap, some of the men turned and ran back the way they'd come. They flooded through the gate, storming the few guards wondering the grounds and breaking into the castle. But the few men solely focused on him were still and steady and waiting.

The fools who rushed him were quickly swiped out of the way with the back of his paw, so he could pound into the midst of their soldiers and take out a good many. If his claws hadn't crushed them first, then the snout with dived into them and tore them apart did. A delightful shiver coursed through him when he felt the bodies breaking beneath his feet.

By the time the soldiers kept on standby reached the gates, half of the rebels had been crushed or torn through.

The rest of the invaders were quickly tied up with soldiers, so he ran around back and let his muscles retort back into their human form. When he shrunk down to his meagre human height, he snatched up his pants and grabbed his sword, which he carried with him everywhere.

Something hot drifted over the skin of his back with the wind. Chaos began to brew behind him, and he turned to find large flames slowly engulfing the stables, where the horses began panicking.

Another wave of Konoha soldiers ran onto the scene, who had been behind the castle in the armoury. He marched in front of them, making them stand to his attention, and bellowed out his instructions to fetch water and put out the fire.

When they dispersed, Itachi headed back for the stable and began kicking down the wooden frame. The fire cackled, and a loud creak warned him to step back in time to avoid the front part of the building collapsing. When the smoke and debris finally drifted, one by one all of the horses began leaping over the mound of dirt to their freedom. They ran over the field, past the fighting soldiers and those carrying the water.

"When I heard there was an Uchiha dog already on the scene, I got curious"

Uchiha Itachi looked towards the sound of the obnoxious voice. Archer Remsen; the foolish man leading troops against gods. He smirked wickedly and withdrew his heavy blade.

Archer threw the hood from his head and jumped down from the dark brown horse he sat atop. With a firm slap, he sent the horse galloping towards Itachi, who moved out the way and managed to defend against the surprise blow from Archer.

"Worried you won't win?" Itachi taunted him darkly when his attack failed. He replied by kicking the rebel leader away and onto his back.

They heard much talk about the worm that was Archer Remsen. The black haired, well built man seemed physically capable in a fight, but it didn't derive from training. Once upon a time, he was a simple farm-boy. He relied on random blows and head-strong frontal assaults. There was no logic behind any move.

So when he was sent onto his back, falling into two of his own men, who had ran to his aid, his eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he pushed to his feet and sprinted through the thick crowds of fighting men.

Itachi tailed after him through the entrance to his home.

Yanking back the sword from the chest of a rebel, Sasuke stood back to realise most of the men inside had been slew, including the idiot who attempted stealing the vase. The floor was now slippery with their spilt blood. As he was about to head outside to join the crowds, he spotted his brother racing up the staircase to his right, after the rebel leader himself.

Knowing his brother was personally on the case lifted the weight from his shoulders. He ran outside and began defending his men in the heat of battle.

* * *

Julian must have told the leader about the castle. It was the only logical explanation as to how Archer navigated his way through _his _home and found the entrance to the roof so easily. Either that or he had ran blindly and picked a door. The last seemed least likely and Itachi's mind didn't run on flukes.

He moved slowly through the oak door, and began ascending the stone staircase, which spiralled upwards, straight towards the roof. The icy air hit his bare chest immediately, yet he paid it no mind and didn't let it distract him.

Especially when Archer appeared and tried to slash him with his sword. He defended against it quickly, and strong enough to make Archer stumble backwards up the stairs. Just as Itachi drove his sword down to finish it, Archer kicked him back against the circular wall and continued to run up the stairs.

Itachi growled and chased after him like a mad man. When they broke through the doorway to the roof, Archer didn't stop until he reached the wall overlooking the courtyard below. He gripped it tightly with both hands and then whirled around to find Itachi watching him calmly.

Itachi raised his weapon and pointed it at Archer, who was enraged enough to strike it with a vicious blow.

"Why won't you just _die?!_"

The blows kept coming left, right and centre. They were sporadic and powerful, but slow and easy to dodge. Archer was furious to find Itachi just kept twisting out of the way and striking back the blow with ease. His teeth clenched painfully, and his brows deepened with frustration. He kept attacking harder and faster.

Finally, Itachi had had enough. Archer too seemed impatient, so he yanked the red bandana from his messy black hair and launched it at Itachi, whose instincts got the better of him. He caught the material, momentarily distracted, and found Archer had closed the distance quickly and was prepared to strike.

Very much like he had caught the bandana, he reacted instantly. His blade met the force, but it sent both weapons to the ground some distance away, where they skidded to a stop. Itachi spun, and sent his foot into Archer's stomach.

A shifter's strength was often thought of as phenomenal, should they use it. The eldest Prince was pissed off enough to throw a fair share of power behind the kick and it proved to be enough when Archer was sent back into the half-wall surrounding the stone rooftops.

The force emitted a loud crack when his spine connected with the wall. When the stone slabs he leaned against shuddered and moved, Itachi briefly wondered if it had been the stone making the sound or Archer himself.

Whatever the case, he didn't have enough time to react when the wall broke away, and Archer's weight sent him hurtling to the courtyard below.

He walked to and peered over the top, catching his brother's eye amidst the fight, who looked up and acknowledge the defeat of their leader. The rebels who noticed quickly spread words, crying out loud enough that their leader was dead and those closest to the door quickly ran out into the awakened city, which had been watching from a distance in terror.

The guards let the rest run; they'd been taught better than to strike those who retreated and acknowledged defeat. Their main concern was for their friends and comrades that lay around them.

* * *

About half way down the corridor, Sakura realised she had no clue where she was going. She began randomly throwing open the doors to different rooms, hoping to find an occupant, yet most of the rooms were either spare guest rooms, empty with signs of a struggle, or weren't rooms at all, but closets.

A lucky feeling built inside her when she noticed a large set of double doors, beautifully varnished and engraved with odd symbols she was sure were the forgotten language. She listened for only a second, and heard a familiar voice from inside.

It was all the confirmation she needed, so she pushed open the door.

Inside the enormous room, standing upon the expensive looking rug, was Julian. His arms were wide, and almost inviting. The only other occupant of the room took a frightened step away from him and clung to the bed post unsurely. Her hands became tangled in the curtains surrounding the King's bed when as she tried to pull away and create more distance from the Captain.

"A woman such as yourself should never have been handed over so willingly to that vile dog! I'll spare your life, seeing how you were forced into this unorthodox marriage. Come with me... or else you'll have to die..."

Sakura didn't bother letting him finish. She dashed across the room, her mind replaying images of football players readying for a tackle. When her arms enclosed around his chest, and she successfully threw him to the floor, with her sitting on top, she looked up to the beautiful woman.

For a striking moment, Sakura thought she was looking at Sasuke, only with a feminine bone structure. The woman flattened herself against the wall by her bed, her long, elegant nightdress whipping around her feet in a flurry of midnight blue. Her eyes were wide and weary and of the deepest black she'd ever seen.

When Sakura looked back down, Julian had retrieved a knife from somewhere, and he slashed out at her angrily. Sakura yelped and kicked herself away from the man in pain. A large, red gash bled through the torn, white nightdress across her stomach.

God it stung! She'd never been attacked before, even while guarding Tsunade at the excavation sites! She usually had other men to back her up, hired from the university Tsunade worked for. It momentarily paralysed her.

Her arm reflexively held onto the wound, which shot through her body and made her eyes water. When she willed herself to look up, Julian was standing above her, a victorious glint to his eyes.

"How _good_ it feels to finally see you on the ground below me," he taunted, slowly retrieved his blade from its sheath. The gentle swipe it made rang clear and warningly in Sakura's ears, so she fumbled to her feet and staggered out the doorway.

Julian's laugh followed her along the corridor.

"Where are you running to?" He laughed madly, leaving the room and the scared woman, who Sakura suspected was Sasuke's mother.

She stumbled into the wall weakly, cursing her wobbling knees and peered down at the slash. With each new step she took, however, shock began to numb the sting, and she managed to pick up her pace.

It wasn't enough; Julian was just toying with her.

"If you want to play cat and mouse, _you'll lose!_"

She ignored him and turned the corner, taking a moment to rest against the wall before she pushed to jog again. Her breaths were coming out as gasps, and when her legs finally refused to move, she slid down the wall and looked to the corner Julian had rounded.

"Ah, _giving up_?"

She bit her lip, looking around wildly for anything that might help. The walls were bare of any weapon, and there were no tables in sight with expensive vases; she'd imagine one would come in useful right now. When he reached the spot in front of her and raised his sword for the final time, she caught sight of movement behind him. Before he could swing his sword down, she raised both feet and kicked him hard in the stomach, praying whoever stood behind him was on her side.

The force was enough to make him stumble into the opposite wall, where a large, gleaming axe swung out and impaled him. He jerked and looked down in disbelief. The blood gushed from him all too quickly, and poured over the length of the weapon which had pinned him to a particularly ugly tapestry.

His eyes bulged, and the arms which had risen above his head to strike her fell, just like the slackened weapon in his hand. When the metal chimed out, hitting the floor, he fell forward limply, yet still hung like a decoration.

Sakura took a shaky, terrified breath and looked up to her saviour.

"Y-You," she blurted. She didn't know his name, after all.

Her drinking competitor smiled victoriously and crossed his bulky arms. The axe alone, which he somehow managed to balance in one arm despite its obvious weight, spoke volumes for his strength. She was glad he was on her side (sort of). He was huge! Perhaps more so than she had even realised.

"Never did introduce myself; the name's Raven."

She laughed, feeling the moment of fear catch up with her, then let herself breath properly. "Sakura"

He nodded, though she suspected he already knew her name when the men had begun chanting it while they hovered around her drinking game. Awkwardly looking her over, and wondering why she was still leaning against the wall frightened to move, he revealed the situation.

"The men are retreating. Prince Itachi killed their leader"

**To Be Continued**

**Hand 'em over... what you say? Oho! You know what...**

**V**


	12. The Unfit

**Authoress Note: **I'mma try and make a picture of stuff. I really wanna draw Raven, cause in my head he's amazing. And I wanna share the joy lol

**Story Fact: **I already have an ending in mind, and I believe it's gonna be great.

**12 The Unfit**

_Hatred does not cease by hatred, _

_but only by love; this is the eternal rule.__  
__**Buddha**_

Sakura managed to stand before Itachi and Sasuke rounded the corner. She even accepted the simple black shirt from Raven, who had been pretty awkward about looking at her when she 'wore so little'.

The arm which had been holding and hiding her wound was crusted with her own blood; the skin there felt almost tight. Respectfully, Raven had turned away when she accepted it, so she threw it over her head and hid the blood staining her white nightdress.

When the two brothers quickly identified the scene, in particular the bloodied and torn body of Julian, Sakura rubbed her arm against the shirt, removing, yet smudging, most of the blood.

"_Heh, Sakura got hurt again."_

"_Women aren't fit for this job; I don't care whose niece you are!"_

"Are you alright?" Itachi asked her.

She turned to look him in the eyes and replied a little hotly, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Raven chuckled and slapped her proudly on the back. The force made her stagger somewhat to regain her balance, and sent a wave of pain through her stomach, but she smiled all the same and fought against wanting to cringe.

They walked to the entrance of the castle and found several troops inside, already setting about moving the bodies outside. Sakura looked down and for the first time that night, spotted the king. In one hand, he held a bloodied sword, which was long and thin. Several servants cowered unsurely behind him, regardless of the battle being over.

His boys quickly made it to his side, relaying everything they knew about the situation. He sheathed his sword and placed it by his hip, firmly clapping a hand on both of their shoulders proudly. Sakura smiled; her father had done the same often throughout the years he stole her from home to train so she was strong 'like daddy'.

"I was with him when we heard the women scream. He rushed out and found rebels everywhere," Raven explained to her, though his eyes never left the King. "I was about to search the servant quarters, but he instructed me to find and protect his wife."

Sakura's eyebrows raised in surprise. The King had protected the servants? How honourable. For a King to bother with his serving staff was remarkable. What a fine King.

"She's quite curious about you; the Queen"

Sakura sighed, "Probably because I dress weird."

He laughed in agreement and slapped her on the back again. This time she did cringe. He _really_ had to stop doing that.

* * *

The next day, Sakura stopped dead by the balcony she found herself at a lot the previous night. She was amazed to find the bodies had been moved already, and the servants were already working to rid the entrance to the castle of its bloody puddle. They were all holding sopping wet mops.

When she descended the stairs, she even found the blood from the man who had taken a tumble was gone.

Although the cleanliness of the house seemed to have been sorted out, outside made Sakura's stomach drop.

A line of bodies were laid out around the side of the building, all covered with sheets and bloodied blankets. She avoided looking at them, so she turned her attention on the wounded, who lay by the castle's wall.

A familiar woman looked up at her and smiled. "Hey; wanna help out?"

Looking at Senju Maiko was nothing short of painful for Sakura; it reminded her of how dearly she missed home. How she missed her mother and Ino, and even her robust Aunt. The woman in front of her eyed her in the same manner.

She nodded and knelt by the other side of the moaning soldier. Her side stung when she bent over, but she ignored it and asked about his condition to distract herself.

She had tried patching herself up the previous night, and although it would hold (and she was pretty proud of her work) it wasn't anything fantastic.

Though she wasn't certain, hours surely passed helping the wounded men. The sun glided through the sky, threatening to drop at any second and allow night to take over.

Sakura bent over and grabbed the torn, thin bag full of dirtied bandages and cloths. There weren't many to see to now they had dealt with the serious injuries. A few scrapes and cuts left to bandage up; but overall, Sakura was impressed. They surely gave the rebels hell and defended the castle with all their might.

She gripped on tight to lift the large bag, but the shaking she'd been feeling all day won out, and she fell back onto her butt. Suddenly, she felt quite hot and a little uncomfortable, despite how thin her shorts and shirt were. She took deep breaths and wiped her brow, which had begun to sweat and run down the side of her face.

She was getting a fever.

"Sakura? You don't look so good"

She forced a smile and pushed to her feet, despite her sudden fatigue and shaking knees. "Naruto; where have you been?"

The blonde folded his arms a little disappointedly. "I had an errand to run for the King. Can't believe I got back too late and missed everything!"

When she looked, she could honestly tell he was angry at himself. His King, his best friend, his comrades and his home had been under attack. She wondered if her own reaction would have been similar if she returned to find a battle had broken out in her home.

She patted him on the back and forced herself to pick the bag up. "I'll catch you later, Naruto. I'm a little busy."

He frowned. She'd catch him later? Was that some kind of future thing? He left for the throne room a moment later, after watching her walk away a little oddly. Was something wrong with her? If so, she hid it well. He was sure she didn't look too good a moment there.

Wait a minute, she wasn't hurt was she? The thought plagued him all the way to the throne room. She was sure to have joined in somehow.

He entered loudly, interrupting the King, who had been speaking with Lady Uchiha. He smiled apologetically and quickly handed over the envelope he held.

While Fugaku read the contents understandingly, Naruto fidgeted and grew nervous under the watch of Sasuke's mother, who understand him too well in that moment.

"Everything will be explained tonight, Naruto. I think Sasuke is with the men outside."

Fugaku looked up and eyed Naruto, when he understood his wife's words. Naruto was most likely put out that he hadn't been at the castle when it was in need of him. Men had died on both sides; some of which he most likely knew. He was a popular boy from the start, after all.

He nodded to Naruto, who saluted and left without another words; his bubbly attitude seemed lost. The King was surprised he hadn't noticed sooner.

Outside, Sakura fell back against the wall of the guard post. The little wooden building had been cleared out for the doctor's use while she worked on the wounded. The long table inside was perfect for lying on, and it was big enough to work around.

They had Sasuke to thank for it, who had suggested the idea.

She ditched the bag amongst the other garbage which was to be burnt tonight at their victory celebration. Perhaps she'd stay inside for this one.

She yelped when her unknowing ancestor jumped in front of her with a stern look. Her arms crossed threateningly, a pose she recognised from Tsunade, Then she grabbed Sakura's arm; the one which had been holding the wound she was sure reopened.

"You're wounded and you told no one!"

She tugged her arm back and smiled. "Of course I'm no-!"

"Don't lie to me!" Her eyes lowered to Sakura's stomach, and Sakura followed on instinct. Blood was beginning stain through her light green vest top, in a horizontal line. She covered it quickly and looked around, panicked someone might have seen.

The only person close enough, she realised, was Sasuke's brother. He was speaking with some men who approached. Her paranoid mind began to question whether or not he had seen, but he was in mid conversation, so she ruled it out.

Figuring the cat was already out of the bag, she took Maiko's arm and steered her into the guard post. She closed the door and leant against it.

"Will you patch me up?" Why did it feel like a serious blow to her pride?

She didn't quite know the answer, but a mere second later, she was forced to sit on the table, where her top was lifted upwards. The doctor rudely tugged at the contraption she'd never seen before, covering her breasts.

"What on earth is this?"

Sakura blushed and slapped her hand away, "That's my bra!" Maiko was clueless, and her silent, questioning stare told Sakura she'd have to explain. "Keep's them in, you know?"

"A corset?"

Sakura shook her head, "Not quite."

The woman lost interest a moment later when she scanned the bloodied bandages. Carefully, she cut them away with a small dagger and discarded them by another small pile she kept.

"You should have had this treated already! What if it gets infected?"

Sakura paused; she hadn't thought of that. The doctor was right and because of the oversight, she felt like a fool. The woman had been discussing possible infections all day, while she poured alcohol over their...

"Wait, you're not going to...?"

She was cut off when something burning dripped over the wound and sent a wave of pain through her. She yelled out for a moment, before biting down on her lip hard and taking a shuddery breath.

All through the process, Sakura kept her eyes clenched shut like a child. When she felt the final knot of her tight bandages draw to a close, she opened them and took some calming breaths.

"How on earth did you get that? You weren't fighting, were you?" The woman reprimanded, tugging the girl to stand. "Drink this," she handed over the whisky, making Sakura frown. Was she trying to get her drunk?

"It'll help with the pain," she supplied, wiping her hands on the surprisingly clean cloth. Sakura took a gulp and almost choked when it hit the back of her throat. She placed the bottle aside a moment later and sent it a filthy look.

"Women are just as capable as men," Sakura argued softly, in no mood to exchange political views. She picked up her vest and eyed it with a frown. Now she only had one left which wasn't dirtied. This world certainly was trying on your clothes.

"Women don't fight, Sakura. It's unbecoming."

Sakura waved her off and stole one of the clean shirts she spied piled in the corner. The doctor had been handing them out all day in place of the torn and soiled ones. She tugged it over her head and almost laughed. She looked like a musketeer!

"I was never really trying to be _be_coming, so I'm not missing out," she assured the woman, who opened her mouth to retort. Sakura cut her off, "Thanks for seeing to me."

Maiko sighed in defeat and watched her walk from the building. That girl just kept reminding her of her late sister. It was wreaking havoc on her nerves.

* * *

The throne room was large and beautifully ornate. On her first glance through the doors, she had been overwhelmed by the thick stone slabs that were the walls and the gleaming, polished floor, where a long red carpet sat.

Did the castle still exist in modern day Konoha? The sky scrapers and apartment complexes meant the view of the anything beyond the street you lay on was impossible. Adding to the fact she had rarely stayed in Konoha thanks to her over-eager Aunt and kidnapping father meant she didn't have time to explore. But, without a doubt, she had never seen it before, let alone been there. No doubt half of its beauty had been stolen through time, because being in the past and experiencing the use for the throne room first hand was simply magical.

Up front, the woman Sakura encountered the previous night sat in the lesser-throne beside her husband. She truly was beautiful; long black hair, which seemed to have a midnight blue shine to it, hung down past her waist, and atop her head sat a beautifully jewelled headdress.

The King had also adorned smarter clothes, and by his side hung the sword which had been used and bloodied in the early hours of the morning.

All around the room, soldiers, wounded and upright, stood to attention, along with a few of the servants and the good doctor herself.

Behind the King and Queen, Sakura spotted Sasuke and his brother, dressed fully this time (none of that heart-stopping shirtless action) with their own respective weapons by their side. Sasuke seemed a little bored, whereas Itachi remained stony faced.

"We lost men; but we defended those important to us," he cast a fleeting smile over at his wife, "And we defended our honour. The rebel leader is dead; his troops retreated. Though I cannot promise this is the end of any rebellion against us, I can promise we have delayed them from attacking again. If there should be a next time, we shall be prepared for them."

The crowd cheered and clapped in agreement, some whispering amongst themselves that they'd kick ass if there should be a next time. Sakura rolled her eyes and glanced over to the Doctor, who was trying to be sly about watching the injured few she remembered for any signs of a fever.

The King stood up, and looked to where one of his advisors stood lazily at the sidelines. He beckoned him over, unfazed by the amount of time it took the man to reach his side, and how he even seemed tired and unsettled by the situation.

In his hand rested a red, plush pillow, and upon it, little, shining badges. Sakura couldn't make them out properly, so she listened attentively.

"Amongst the dead lay Captain Filious. A noble, proud man who fought until the very end." The crowd grew silent, and some even bowed their head memorably. "Under light of these circumstances, we have decided on a suitable replacement.

"This man bravely slew the traitor amidst us, who lead the rebel army through our gates. He was the greatest adversary for he knew our every weakness, and held the same title as the deceased Filious. I proudly announce your new Captain."

Sakura held her breath, along with the many soldiers around her.

"Raven"

Cheers followed the stunned man, who tried to walk forward towards the throne whilst appearing nonchalant. His surprise was evident, no matter how much he tried to hide it.

When he reached the throne, he knelt down respectfully and bowed his head. The King descended the shallow steps, and took one of the two insignia's from the cushion. When he lifted it, Sakura noticed it was the same fan which adorned the tapestries throughout the building.

He clipped it to the large man's shoulder place, and then took a step back from him when he stood and turned around to the people. Everyone politely clapped him, and for those who he passed, he received a manly slap on the back.

When Raven made a noisy exit, to stand tall beside Sakura, who grinned up at him and tried to pat his back as hard as he often did with her. He laughed at her efforts, but their attention was drawn to the King once more.

"Filious wasn't the only Captain we lost, though he was taken by a more honourable circumstance. As many know and as few have speculated, Captain Julian Saionji led the attack alongside the rebel leader due to reasons unknown."

Sakura scoffed; she knew his reasons; his family had been bumped off the throne and he was sour. She knew that part of her country's history quite well. The day the Last Saionji Kind bowed down to a new lineage. She didn't understand the reasons behind why Fugaku was being kind and keeping it a secret.

"As such, a second Captain has been chosen. I proudly announce him."

Instead of speaking the name, King Fugaku looked towards his right, where the lazy advisor had stood and beckoned someone over. Sakura sucked in a sharp breath, before a smile blossomed over her face. A similar reactionw as taking hold of the crowd surrounding her. Elbows jabbed their neighbours sides and excited whispers were already being spread about their new Captain.

"Naruto; step forward"

Somewhat numbly, Naruto walked towards the throne and knelt, but before the King could place the badge on him, Naruto spoke up.

"I wasn't even here. I don't deserve it."

Some of the crowd began whispering about what he had said, and Sakura noticed Sasuke's disappointment. It wasn't a secret he hadn't been fond of Julian, and finding out his best friend (to put it in twenty-first century terms) was declining the offer to be that little bit closer to him was no doubt disappointing. Though it made sense, it was odd to Sakura seeing him turn the position he wanted away.

"Naruto; you retrieved some very important documents for me. I sent you because of your speed and it was urgent I have that information. Do you know what your accomplishment did?"

He shook his head, his eyes never rising to meet the Kings. Was he ashamed? It hadn't been his fault he hadn't been present.

"The information you retrieved for me allowed me to send troops out to the coast, where a boat was docked carrying over two hundred enslaved passengers. Because of your haste, we are sure to stop them before they leave and make slaves of our people."

Naruto was quiet for a moment, but he stood up quickly and looked the King in the eye.

"Then I'll catch up with the men you sent and lead them to victory! Only then will I accept this."

Sakura sword she could see Sasuke smiling; she wasn't even sure why she was watching Sasuke when Naruto was having a very public breakdown. But the same grin broke out over her own face. Naruto was surely a worthy ally to have.

The King seemed taken aback, and for a moment he simply looked back at Naruto, as if judging his sincerity.

"You did say I was the fastest! I promise I'll free them and sink the ship!"

The King sighed and nodded, a little perplexed but pleased with his enthusiasm. "Very well; Set out tonight; I'll await your return."

Simultaneously, the crowds cheered and screamed for him, regardless of the fact he didn't accept the title quite yet. She couldn't think of a better person Sasuke could have had as a Captain. He was setting out to prove he deserved it.

The King sat down once more and smiled over the crowds. Just as Sakura and the men were sure he was about to announce the party, Lady Uchiha stood up suddenly, and everyone fell into silent confusion.

"Wait; that's not all"

Sasuke and Itachi glanced at their mother with interest. She rarely spoke up at such events; she was content to watch her husband, who seemed very complacent now. Out the corner of his eye, Sasuke sent his brother a quick glance, wondering if he knew anything about the commotion, but he seemed equally as confused.

"I have someone to thank also"

Sakura felt a heavy weight drop in her stomach. She suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"This person saved my life when Julian attacked. I'd surely be dead right now had they not arrived in time to help. Though it's selfish, because you all were fighting to protect your loved ones, I'd like to award this person with something of mine."

Sakura turned, and was about to push her way through the crowds to leave, but Raven glanced down and latched onto her arm knowingly. She didn't quite like the feral grin that descended upon her.

Doctor Maiko turned to her, "Is something wrong?" She whispered.

"Ah, but it's a little embarrassing. I don't know their name."

The crowd laughed gently with their elegant, beautiful Queen, looking around for sight of someone stepping forward to receive a reward from their Queen.

She became serious when she looked out over the men, holding something tightly in her hand. "Are you there, Miss?"

Raven handily pushed her forward, and she stumbled out into the open, drawing quite a lot of attention. Damn it, she was injured!

The Queen smiled at her and beckoned her forward when she spotted her. Sakura glanced back unsurely at Raven and the Doctor, one of whom seemed stunned, while the other watched her discomfort with satisfaction. Damn that jerk!

Slowly, she walked closer, but stayed a distance from the throne, unlike the men announced Captain.

"What is your name?"

She swore, that just behind the Queen, she saw Sasuke rubbing his forehead in exasperation, but she ignored him and answered.

"Sakura"

Though the whole ceremony had been focused on manners and politeness, the Queen descended the steps and grabbed both of Sakura's hands in her own giddily. She could hear the whispers all around her from the curious soldiers, who were wondering exactly what she had done.

Sakura looked down into her hands when the Queen placed something pointed within them. The metal was cold, so she held it up and inspected it in awe. It was a golden necklace; its shape twisted and pointed in a spiral, while in the centre it held an orb of a jewel, which was blood red.

"Isn't this precious?" Sakura asked in alarm, looking back at the queen with wide, viridian eyes.

She nodded unabashed; "It is very precious to me; that's why I want you to have it. Please accept it along with my gratitude."

Well when she put it like that, she made sure Sakura would feel like crap if she declined. Instead, the shorter female smiled and nodded, so the Queen took it from her hands and tied it around her neck. The chain was a little long, and it felt cold against her skin, but its weight on her chest made her feel proud.

It only just hit her then, that she had saved the life of the Queen from over five centuries before her time.

"You stood up against him very bravely; even though you were wounded."

She was sure the queen was trying to give her an ego.

Sasuke paused and registered something she had said then; wounded. The dobe had been right when he started questioning Sasuke about Sakura's odd behaviour. Why hadn't she told anyone? Did she even tell the doctor? The woman had been standing close to her during the awards, but she hadn't looked her over like the other wounded men in the room.

Still, he found himself thankful to her. She had saved his mother; her life had been in danger, and nobody even knew about it. If Sakura had never came along, would his mother be dead right now?

Apparently, Itachi was thinking the same, and they both shared an understanding, stunned glance, before turning around and looking at the being that was Haruno Sakura.

**To Be Continued**

**I can now respond to my reviewers! Yes! I e-mailed fanfiction 'cause I wasn't receiving e-mails about my stories and reviews and stuff. But now, it is fixed!**

**V**


	13. The Unadjusted

**Authoress Note: **I'mma try and make a picture of stuff. I really wanna draw Raven, cause in my head he's amazing. And I wanna share the joy lol

**Story Fact: **I really don't want Sakura to come off as some sort of woman wonder. I suppose it all comes back to her father, not that _that _is gonna be disclosed any time soon. : )

**13 The Unadjusted**

_Bad is never good until worse happens.  
__**Danish proverb **_

The seat she sat in was beginning to feel restraining. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, curling and tugging at the material there in a vain attempt to find some sort of comfort. She was finding it hard to fit it in between the arms of the thin chair with so much material bunched around her hips.

"More tea?"

God, no more tea! She couldn't handle it! She could barely breathe thanks to the contraption around her waist!

"No thanks"

"No _thank you_," Lady Uchiha corrected with a giggle. What had she done? Was this karma? Mrs Uchiha – _Queen _Uchiha was a lovely woman; one of the few who found her rather odd yet inspiring, unlike the others who clearly detested everything about her manners and quirks. That wasn't to say she was enjoying all this attention.

Why was she here?

Of course she knew why. It all boiled down to the fact she was finding it hard to say no to Sasuke's mother. She was quite manipulative (good naturedly of course) under the cover of her beautiful blue dresses and long, raven hair.

Ino would have been giggling like a schoolgirl in her place.

If someone had told her a month ago she'd be sitting across from a five-hundred year old Queen, sipping on tea in a _dress_ she wouldn't quite know how she would have reacted. Now that she actually was doing the aforementioned things, she found herself stunned into silence.

It was that emerald green number she had found innocently laying on a seat in her room. Like so many times before, she had walked past it with a scoff and fished out her rapidly decreasing stockpile of clothes. With a mental note to find some way of washing them properly.

But when she was heading downstairs to ask the King if he'd heard word of Naruto's trip to the coast, she ran into Lady Uchiha, who beamed at her and insisted she join her for tea. _Sure, why not_ she had thought. But when they were about to pass her room, the elder woman stopped her and gestured over a maid, instructing that she change.

Nervously, she lifted her head and eyed the women in the small circle. They had been eyeing her wearily all afternoon, talking about their husbands and whatnot while sticking their pointy noses in the air. God, she felt sick with nerves. They kept judging her and whispering while Mrs Uchiha remained oblivious.

"So _Sakura _was it?" After all, she had no title like the rest of them. It was one of the main reasons they were looking down at her and repeating the name with a little too much emphasis.

"Yeah"

"_Yes_" Sasuke's mother nudged her with a beaming smile. She had the nagging suspicion the woman made a project out of her which was followed by a worrying _why_. It felt off, fraternising with his _mother_. Didn't they only take interest if they had plans for them involving their sons? She had two!

She took a deep, unnoticeable breath to steel her nerves. She was over thinking again and her thoughts were leading her down a dangerous road.

"Yes," she corrected quickly, straightening her back when she was sent a not so subtle reminder by the queen, in the form of her shoulders bouncing.

"What is it your husband does?"

Sakura spluttered, "Husband? I'm only eighteen!"

The women sent her an indignant glance, before the blonde one with ringlets spoke up. She was a pretty girl, sitting on the far end with rouged lips and red cheeks. Sakura felt like a sack of potatoes in comparison to all of them.

"I hope to be married by my sixteenth birthday"

Sakura sent her a wide-eyed look. "But, there's plenty of time to marry, enjoy yourself first! Having a husband will tie you down!" God she'd been handed that line so many times by old women in passing. It felt odd being the one to dish out the advice.

The girl sent her a repulsive look after her general shock faded, and some of the older women laughed amongst one another, finding that train of thought amusing.

"Don't I know that first hand," one joked politely, finding Sakura as fascinating as Lady Uchiha, who may have been positively beaming if she wasn't somewhat disappointed in Sakura's views of a husband. Her worries returned full force and her mind provided the _two sons _chant she'd been fraternising about earlier.

Another gave an indignant humph and turned away from the pink-haired young lady. "I was married at seventeen."

She almost blurted out how that must have sucked, but she held herself together, trying to smile through the grimace she had possessed throughout the little gathering. She made a mental note not to accept an invite to another of the queen's tea parties. Sure, her mother would be positively ecstatic when - _if _- she relayed the story, but that didn't mean she had to live throuhg it a second time.

Two sharp knocks collided with the door. "Oh, that'll be my son. Come in"

Sakura didn't stop to wonder which son before she stole the large, silver tray the tea had been served on and hid behind it. Either son seeing her in such a ridiculous outfit was out of the question! Itachi would surely laugh at her and Sasuke... she didn't want to think. She'd prefer the former over the later.

"Ah, Sasuke"

She cringed and cursed herself for speaking too soon. She hadn't technically spoke since she found out he was responsible for letting her take a dive in the freezing cold lake. Sure they had a scuffle on the staircase during the attack, but due to circumstances, any awkwardness had been forgotten, their lives taken preference over their squabbles. She had promised Naruto to try and talk normally to him, yet he'd been absent for the past five days. Not that she was complaining.

"Would you like to join us?"

_Please say no! _

She held her breath, unable to ignore the variety of looks the women gave her. One, however, was all eyes for the prince; it was the blonde girl with ringlets. So _that's _who she was hoping to marry by her sixteenth birthday.

Sakura found herself grinning and yearning to snort - though Mrs Uchiha would surely go off on one if she heard that kind of sound pass her lips. Sasuke, of all people! Had he spoken more than a murmur to her, or was she simply after his looks.

Halting suddenly, she thought over that last sentence. Had she just acknowledged Sasuke was... good looking?_ Dangerous ground, Sakura! Dangerous!_

That was around about the time when the humour faded. Her stomach clenched almost painfully and she had to stop out of sheer horror. The mental scolding immediately followed in which she refused to acknowledge her reaction to the thought of the blonde marrying Sasuke.

"I've just returned, father is expecting me"

"Ah, I see," his mother said disappointedly. "Well I know Lady Caprice was awaiting your return quite anxiously."

So that's why she'd invited him along; for the blonde girl? Curiously, Sakura snapped her attention to Caprice, who stood and approached him brightly, curtsying lowly.

"I'm glad you returned safely, your highness!" She admitted quite honestly.

Sakura fought rolling her eyes; the other women were quite interested in her right now (perhaps something to do with the silver tray hiding a good portion of her head). Her eyes locked onto the hand which was pulling Sasuke along behind her by his arm. Thankfully, he didn't glance her way. He was too busy scowling at the back of the young, blonde girl's head.

Sakura took the opportunity to stand and head for the door, while his back was turned and his attention focused dismally on Caprice. The other women gathered watched her leave quite questionably, but she ignored their smiles and giggles through sheer determination. Only Lady Uchiha stood in her way when she reached for the handle.

Her hand was placed on top of Sakura's, and when the young time traveller looked up, Sasuke's mother frowned.

"Where are you going?" She asked gently, not to disturb Caprice who was talking rather animatedly to her son.

_Were those puppy eyes_? Sakura cleared her mind and sent a nervous glance back to Sasuke, who was still ignorant of her presence in the room. He was trying his hardest to seem polite whilst not leading on the young girl.

"I didn't sign up for this!" Sakura whispered, sending her own pleading eyes at his mother.

"You're a young woman!" She whispered in reply, with a smile she supposed was reassuring.

Sakura was having none of it. She shook her head almost fearfully, the pink curls hanging down her back swaying left and right. When she tried for the handle though, Lady Uchiha shut the door and she stepped back.

"It's embarrassing!" Sakura tried again. God her aunt would never have let her live this down - what was Sasuke gonna do?!

"Sakura?"

Every muscle in her body froze; caught out already?! She was still looking into Lady Uchiha's eyes, but she swallowed and eventually turned to him. He looked stunned when she faced him.

And he felt it, too. Feeling as though he had no control over himself, he let his eyes roam down the length of her emerald green dress. He was sure his mouth fell open, but attempting to snap it shut seemed too distracting a task when he was trying to take in the image of Sakura... in a dress. It wasn't as if he was oblivious to the fact that she was indeed a woman, but seeing her in clothing appropriate for a lady (something he swore she would never wear willingly) knocked the breath from him.

"Sasuke," she replied, remembering her promise to Naruto.

His shock was hidden quite quickly, but she hadn't failed to notice it flash through his eyes. She had addressed him by his name, something she understood he preferred. The tension which had been visible in his shoulders ebbed away, and when he began looking intently at her for the hidden meaning behind her calling his name, she smiled somewhat crookedly.

The women surrounding them collectively gasped and began whispering about her manners in front of the prince. From behind Sasuke, Caprice had sent her a near murderous look, which was mixed among her own disbelief.

Lady Uchiha smiled at her son, who promptly ignored her and cleared his throat. "Can I borrow Sakura, mother?"

Sakura's heart leapt in her throat, and she whirled around and pleaded his mother with her eyes, who beamed and nodded. She had put her through quite a lot after all, having her sit through tea with women of every age demeaning her with their eyes alone.

"Of course. I was glad you could join us, Sakura."

She nodded, but didn't have time to properly thank her as Sasuke walked past her and took hold of her arm by her elbow. She was all but dragged out of the door. When he shut it behind him and continued walking, she tugged her arm from him and sighed.

"God that was awful!"

He glanced over at her, unable to help looking down at the dress once more with vague fascination. "I'm surprised you agreed to go." _Let alone where a dress... _was the silent after thought.

"I didn't! Well, sort of... your mother is a very," she almost said manipulative, but this _was_ his mother and she managed to stop in time, "_Convincing_ woman."

He nodded in agreement, with a small smirk present on his face, then stopped along the corridor and turned to her seriously. The action caught her off guard, and she even took a step back from him when his brow furrowed, as though suspecting he would leash out at her.

"Thank you"

"What?" she blurted. What had she done? She couldn't remember. Was it because she called him Sasuke? That seemed a little trivial for all his seriousness. Surely Naruto had simply been overreacting when he'd told her of his lonely childhood as the King's son? Sure, she could imagine the segregation would be unbearable, but-.

"You saved my mother. We didn't even know she was in danger."

"Oh"

Wow. That was sweet. Really sweet. Not many would display the open honesty Sasuke had. Every fleeting emotion passed over his face. The clear love for his mother. The unabashed gratitude for saving her. She felt a light blush spread over her nose.

"Uh... you're um... welcome"

* * *

Later in the day, once she had tossed aside the emerald dress and hid it in the crack behind the large, expensive wardrobe (some of the edges were sticking out, but she doubted the Queen or maids would notice), she received a similar reaction from Sasuke's father, the King.

After formally thanking her (to which she bowed to hide her blush and show her manners) he had invited her to stay in the castle whenever she passed through the area, to which she refrained from looking at him sceptically. He _knew _her origins; whether he believed them or not, so it seemed a little odd he thought she'd return sometime in the future (if she could ever leave).

Once all embarrassment, confusion and pleasantries has passed, and he had politely informed her he had to return to the audience room, where a meeting was already underway. And then, the awe set in.

What had she been doing these past two weeks? Ever since she arrived in the past, every day had been phenomenal. Travelling with princes and soldiers, saving village leaders, picking fights with captains (_traitorous captains_, her mind supplied when she winced and realised how very foolish the last had been, considering she was almost been killed), jumping in front of Queens, standing nose to nose with gods of the past.

It was as if she had lost all sense the moment she landed five-hundred years away. Then again, she was just as stubborn and hot-headed back home, amongst the hired muscle she guarded and learned amongst during excavations with her aunt. There was always trouble in those forgotten, sacred places, but it didn't seem crazy to her. She'd been faced with it frequently. The trouble; the danger.

Was now really so different? It felt so. Because citizens, _hell _even soldiers, all around her were happily going about their normal lives, and she seemed to be some walking danger magnet. Was it because she stuck out in this world? Because she couldn't sit back and obey like a good little female? Because their attitudes were too different to the future that she felt she just had to try and change things?

She didn't know anymore, but one thing she did know was that no matter how long and how hard she searched the village for someone knowledgeable in the forgotten language, she got nowhere. The citizens of Konoha in this time were too suspicious and too afraid of the black arts they thought she was seeking.

A sinking feeling had begun to sit in the centre of her stomach. The feeling that she wouldn't be able to go home again. That... she'd never see anyone again. Her mother, Tsunade, Ino...

"Is something wrong?"

Walking through the wide open doors of the castle, the eldest prince appeared holding his sheathed, silver sword in one hand. The first thought that struck her was that he'd been training; though it wasn't too apparent. There wasn't a drop of sweat lingering on his skin or sticking to the loose fitting, white shirt ad he didn't seem strained or tired in any sense. She was almost jealous; the man was practically perfect, along with his younger brother.

She paused almost instantly, wondering where the hell that thought had come from.

When he stopped and stood in front of her, she noticed the mud coating one of his knees and the crumpled state of his top, which had first alerted her to his training session. Aside from the sword, of course.

"Just thinking," she replied with a shrug. The past few times she'd spotted him returning from a training session, there'd been no mud present, and his shirt had more or less remained intact... along with his hair. Now, one or two strands had escaped the confines of his tie, and were hanging by each ear. "Who were you fighting?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Hatake"

Sakura felt herself beginning to smile.

"Hm, I was wondering who gave you a run for your money," she teased lightly, sitting back in her seat and crossing her feet to stop them from swinging.

He raised a fine eyebrow at her, clearly curious as to her explanation, and she gave him one, knowing the gesture all too well.

"You seem a little more... ruffled than usual"

Because sparring with one Hatake Kakashi was rare. She had only met the man a small number of times; he was always either late for meetings or running off on some kind of errand or other.

A barley present smile lit up his face and he nodded. "You were thinking about your home."

She had grown used to his perception and the fact that he never (or rather, rarely) asked a question and always spoke as though he were making a statement. The mind reading was still a little creepy, however.

Sighing in defeat and dropping the act, she nodded ruefully and focused on the sword in his hands, instead of those focused black eyes. She always felt he saw more than she wanted him to see and his silence only frustrated her, and made her more suspicious.

"It's been two weeks and I'm no closer to returning. I'm beginning to think I'm stuck here."

He was quiet for a moment, pondering what she had said, and she realised all too quickly how that could have sounded to someone who didn't know any better.

"Not that I don't enjoy everyone's company, of course," she said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

A small chuckle left him before he turned towards the throne room and glanced at her over his shoulder. "Follow me"

She did so, obediently and barley able to contain the questions she wanted to ask him. Where was he taking her and why being the main two.

The throne room was currently busy, and though the apparent merchants were deep in conversation with the King, who listened and nodded when he needed to, they managed to turn and look her up and down in confusion. Apparently, whatever they were speaking of was much more important, however, as they returned their attention to the front after only a moment's pause and continued.

She smiled and waved a little uncomfortably at the King who looked up and set her a half-uninterested smile, before lazily returning his gaze to the first of the three merchants bantering in front of him.

By the far right corner of the room was a simple door, and Itachi strode through silently before closing it behind her and turning to gauge her reaction.

She hadn't been in this room before; she would have known if she had, and a gasp was caught in her throat as she looked to the different hangings all over the wall. Weapons; hundreds of them, some she recognised, and some which just confused her. Some sat on stands and shelves, while others were hooked on nails in the wall or stood against others. The centre of the room was bare of any furnishings or carpets. A training room slash armoury; she had only seen a small few of these weapons before in her life, during raids with Tsunade. They were usually buried with the corpses, held in their hands or lain across their chest.

"Should you be showing me this?" She asked, a little stunned.

Itachi quite liked her reaction, and didn't bother to hide the satisfaction he felt. "I have told my father I would be introducing you to this room."

_He speaks like it's a person, _she thought dryly.

"I've decided this is how I shall properly thank you; everyday at noon, I expect you to be here waiting."

While her brain fought to keep up with him, all she could manage was a simple, "Huh?" as she turned to him, feeling she was missing some vital information. What was he talking about?

"Training, of course," he explained. "Though your hand-to-hand combat is impressive, against a weapon the odds aren't in your favour, and you'll find yourself more susceptible to injury."

"Wait, training me? Shouldn't you be doing something more important? And why?"

He smiled at her, and walked to the centre of the room, picking up a simple sword from the stand. The metal grinded against the wood when he retrieved it, yet it seemed perfect in comparison to the blades handed to the soldiers; almost ornate.

"If someone else were to be instructed to train you, it would hardly show my gratitude. I'm doing this so you can protect your precious people, as your protected one of mine."

The glazed look in his eye was very honest and entirely too exposed for Itachi. He was unguarded at the moment, and if being allowed in such a room wasn't enough of a clue, then the fact he had dropped his guard and opened up to her made her very conscious of just how much the royal family trusted her.

She smiled in return and walked to the centre of the room.

* * *

"No, please! You don't understand... I'm not-I'm not," the door slammed in her face, and she recoiled on instinct, taking a startled step away from the solid oak. "I'm not practicing dark arts," she finished off feebly.

That was the last lead she had received and now she was out of luck. Konoha held no one knowledgeable of the forgotten language and if she stayed any longer, she was sealing her fate.

Her returning steps to the castle were slow and thoughtful. The sun had almost reached the centre point in the sky, but her mind was filled with thoughts on her next step to realise that Itachi would be waiting for her.

Another week had passed, marking it the third in her calendar that she had remained in the past. For a week now, she had met up with Sasuke's brother to train, understanding the two times he had failed to show up. He was busy after all and she fully understood if there were matters to attend to. The fact he trained her at all, being a member of the royal family, was astounding and made her more than a little giddy.

Itachi was great to be around; she wasn't sure if it was his sureness, or his flat humour... she fully believed it was because he told her so much about Sasuke; the good, the bad and the downright amusing.

When she reached the throne room, she walked through the doors absentmindedly, and paused in her step when she noticed she had disrupted something.

In front of the throne, two women accompanied Nara Shikamaru, the King's laziest, yet most intelligent advisor (and Sakura's favourite). The other two were so stiff and dull as hell; she found his blunt, self-confident manner was a refreshing change for the past. Especially since he didn't throw around said self-confidence; the trait was simply evident in how he was always correct.

He nodded to her before turning back to the two women, who were frowning at her attire (she'd grown used to it, really) yet not entirely focused on her. They were both brunette and tall for women; but perhaps the most striking feature about them was their hard eyes, which were puffy and held much concern (for what, she didn't know) and the red, tribal markings dashed down either side of their cheeks.

She paused mid-step, aware in the back of her mind that she was staring, and then shook her head to snap her out of her musings. She nodded and moved towards the edge of the room so as not to disturb them.

The youngest woman, who looked a few years older than Sakura, turned back to the King and continued talking as though she had never stopped.

"What's being done about it? It's been nearly three and a half weeks since we've seen him!"

Sakura would've thought her tone to be a little too rude to address the king, but his majesty didn't seem to mind; in fact, he looked just as troubled as she.

"We've searched the area thoroughly, and there's been no sign of Kiba. He never reported back with his findings on the village. I sent out Captain Hyuuga a few days ago; he will be reporting tonight by messenger bird; I'll send for you when I have word."

The eldest woman took a step forward next. "Please, Fugaku. Send me out; Inuzuka's have the best sense of smell; we'll find him!"

She tried not to pry, halfway towards the door, but it was hard when she heard the woman address the King so familiarly.

Who was Kiba and where was he sent? It was obvious he was missing and the two women were worried about him, family perhaps seeing how they looked the same. When she reached the door, she entered and closed it behind her, looking up to find Itachi inspecting the far wall thoughtfully.

She sighed, fiddling with the corners of the paper she held.

"You're late"

"Sorry Itachi. I got caught up in town"

He nodded in understanding before reaching up and dismantling the set of butterfly swords from the wall. She watched him approach with the weapons and hand them out to her.

"We aren't using the sword?"

He shook his head, "I'm trying to find something which suits you and I believe we can go no further with a sword. I've taught you all I know; it's just a matter of practice."

She accepted the two new weapons, staring down at them thoughtfully. She barely had time to move when she noticed movement and spotted him attacking her without warning. With a yelp, she stumbled backwards and blocked the blow by crossing the two swords over her chest.

He came at her again, now that he had her full attention, and threw out some easy attacks, until she found a comfortable position to block them in. It was different from any lessons she could hope to take in the future. For one, she didn't need some stupid licence or permission and a police check. And another thing, Itachi didn't necessarily teach her, but spar with her and hope she figured out the moves herself. He only helped when she was in dire need of it, or gave simple but effective pointers, _or was nearly run through with his sword_. He told her she would learn better that way, if she figured it out herself. The knowledge would stick with her.

Which meant that often she believed she was going to die when he came at her.

"Don't you have a problem with training a girl?"

He spun and swung the thin bladed sword her way, almost chuckling when she 'eeped' and parried the attack, spinning away and looking down thoughtfully at her swords. She changed their position in her hands and looked back up, ready to try something new, while Itachi mentally applauded her when she figured out the correct way to hold them without putting strain on her wrists.

"I have no reservations in teaching a woman," she tried to fight the embarrassment back when he referred to her as such. She didn't feel quite so mature and wise enough to be called a woman. Thirty-year-olds were called women; she still felt like a girl. The thought took her back to the tea with the Queen's friends and discussion of marriage during adolescence.

"I teach only those I believe could benefit from the knowledge."

She danced back from him and in a daring move, swung forward, crossing them over her chest and then back out again. Startled (yet downright refusing to reveal it), Itachi blocked the blow and put his defences up with a barley repressed smirk.

If there was one thing he loved aside from sleeping outside in his bestial form, sparring and the sweet dangos the cooks made him when his father wasn't paying attention, it was when his sparring partner caught him off guard and forced him to into a situation he hadn't been in before. It was how one learned and bettered themselves.

He just hadn't expected it from Sakura.

She widened her stance, and bent her knees, holding them out in a position she vaguely recalled seeing before in the past. Two years ago, in the hollow centre of a mountain, where Tsunade had discovered some kind of scroll. They'd been ambushed when they set foot inside, and Sakura and the two other muscular guards had been forced to fight foreign men wielding the very blades she held in her hands. She still had the scar across the underside of her breast, where one had caught her.

She smiled when she remembered quite clearly, but then noticed Itachi looking quite puzzled. The fighting style had probably not been invented yet, which meant he was unguarded against the few moves she remembered; including the one which had marked her.

When he made the decision to attack again, which was something he didn't do in battle as he liked his enemy to make the first move after pissing them off with a stare, she caught the blade between her two and thrust them up and away from her, then, she crouched over, swung her blade out and spun, then swung again.

Though she missed the second time, the first time caught the exact same place she had been hit, and when she moved away, she paused at the sight of blood.

Itachi had long since let his blade drop by his side. He ran a finger along the seam of the cut, inspected the damage and then looked back up with an impressed smirk. She almost began apologising until she saw just how pleased he was.

Instead, she lowered her guard and scoffed.

"Masochist"

He laughed aloud at that, causing her to shake her head look down to the cut. But he was still watching her, obviously wanting some knowledge he could put to the cut.

So she lifted her white vest and revealed the very same cut to him.

He seemed vaguely unsure at first (no doubt chivalry and manners kept his eyes from straying any lower than hers) until his curiosity won out and he looked at where she was gesturing. When he found they had identical wounds, his eyes rose back to hers, and she grinned.

"We match"

He shook his head and replaced his sword on the mantle behind him, where it sat proudly.

"Aside from the surprise move; you aren't focused"

She already knew that. Her thoughts had been grave ever since she returned from town; because she had to leave to the next village and find someone who could read the Mother Guardian's inscription.

And apparently, she didn't need to say anything to Itachi.

"If you're leaving, make sure to tell my brother this time"

She walked to the wall and replaced the weapon, trying not to think on saying goodbye to Sasuke. Maybe she should stick around until Naruto returned. In fact, running off without seeing his promotion of sorts would be downright rude.

The King still hadn't heard from the eager blonde on his mission to the coast. Or at least not that he was telling her. She liked to think he would, seeing how he knew how worried she was for the soon-to-be-captain.

Itachi was waiting by the door for her, inspecting his bloody fingers with a smile.

"You're a little scary when you do that," she admitted when she approached.

He scoffed and made for the door, but she stopped him before he left.

"Hey Itachi," She figured he also didn't mind the familiarity after she slipped up one day. Or maybe she had earned it, with the training and the whole saving his mother issue. She had never asked but she figured him to be a mama's boy. "Who's Kiba?"

He tensed and pulled his hand back from the door. She waited patiently for him while he weighed his options and all he knew before answering her.

"He belongs to the Inuzuka family. A family alike the Uchiha," When she didn't seem to understand, he continued, "Shifters. He went to former-Adel as a scout, but we didn't receive word from him, so my father assumed the town was indeed endangered and sent out Sasuke and his men."

Her fingers reached into her pocket and withdrew the folded up piece of paper a little stiffly. This Kiba was a shifter, in the area of the village. Was it possible... he was the one who attacked her in the future? How did he even get there?

It all led back to the inscription of course.

Should she tell them where he was? She didn't know much about Shifters and it was entirely possible that the shifter who attacked them was someone entirely different. Not only that, but she didn't even know how to get back herself, let alone how to retrieve him.

And what if something bad happened? If she told the King, would he try to gain access to the future to save a comrade? He seemed the type. What affect would that have on the future? She couldn't imagine it to be a positive one, and she didn't want to endanger her family and friends (or rather, _friend_).

Besides those in the future, what would happen to the people who did gain access, hypothetically believing they could? With the amount of armed guards sectioning the territory off, there'd be a full out war if they attacked. And swords against guns left no doubt in her mind which side would be injured most greatly.

Wisely, she kept her mouth shut and followed Itachi, who had decided on leaving when she remained silent.

**To Be Continued**

**V**


End file.
